Poll: Should the Mets have made different free agent choices and signed Carlos Rodon?

Once the lockout was lifted, one of the first free agents signed was Carlos Rodon, who inked a 2/$44 deal with the Giants, with an opt-out clause after the first season. Rodon was my preferred pitcher for the Mets to add. There’s no denying Rodon’s injury history. But with guys like Tylor Megill and David Peterson to plug in if/when Rodon needed to miss time, it would have been a worthwhile gamble. He’s got filthy stuff and the specter of going into a series with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Rodon would have been amazing.

On the flip side, signing Rodon would have put the Mets beyond the newest CBT threshold, which is $290 million. There’s an 80% penalty for going over this threshold for the first time, one that goes up to 90% if you do it in back-to-back years and 110% if you do it three times in a row. Just because Steve Cohen can afford it doesn’t mean he wants to rush out and exceed it.

There’s not much enthusiasm from me in criticizing the Mets for failing to send their payroll past $290 million. However, it does seem fair to wonder if Rodon could have been had before the lockout at this number if the Mets made the best choice to sign the free agents that they did. Essentially is the difference between Rodon and Megill/Peterson larger than the gap between underperforming Mets hitters from 2021 and the guys they signed to replace them?

 Loading ...