A look at the Mets’ acquisitions under Steve Cohen ownership

Saw it on the tube
Bought it on the phone
Now you’re home alone
It’s a piece of crap

Whenever we buy something, we enter the purchase with expectations. Now, maybe they’re not realistic expectations – maybe we’ve just been conned by marketing – but there are expectations, nonetheless. And it’s different if your expectations aren’t met with an item that you spent a couple of dollars on, versus one that reached triple digits or more.

And it’s no different for your favorite sports team.

The Mets have made some high-dollar acquisitions since Steve Cohen took over. Let’s look at those, along with some lower-priced additions, determine what should have been reasonable expectations and see how they’ve panned out.

Albert Almora – They signed Almora looking for a defensive center fielder who wouldn’t be a complete liability. In his five previous seasons in the majors, Almora had an 84 OPS+. The Mets got him on a $1.25 million deal. But he played just 47 games and had a (-12) OPS+. Not expensive, but ultimately a piece of crap.

Javier Baez – The Mets needed a jolt, with half of the team on the IL and the other half underperforming. They traded an injured top prospect to the Cubs for Baez and Trevor Williams. Baez had a 102 lifetime OPS+ heading into the 2021 season and had a 104 mark with the Cubs when traded. He got off to a rough start, both at the plate and with the fans, but by the end of the year, he had a 140 OPS+ with the Mets. It was for a team going nowhere, though. And the injured prospect is having a terrific year for the Cubs in the minors. Expensive and not worth it, even though it was better than expected.

Chris Bassitt – In a system not filled with a lot of useful items, the Mets sent two pitchers with MLB upside to Oakland to land Bassitt, a pitcher with a lifetime 119 OPS+. Bassitt has been a consistent and reliable pitcher for the Mets and he’s doing his best pitching here down the stretch. He’s up to a 120 OPS+ for the season. Meanwhile, Adam Oller has a 6.01 ERA in the majors and J.T. Ginn has a 6.11 ERA in Double-A. Sort of expensive, in the context of the Mets’ farm system at the time of the deal, but totally worth it.

Mark Canha – It seemed like a bargain when the Mets signed Canha to a 2/$26.5 million deal, with a team-friendly club option for a third season. After all, Canha had a lifetime 114 OPS+ and was coming off a 3.1 fWAR season. He started off the year ok, getting on base at a good clip but with little power. And then a switch was turned on and now he’s driving the ball. Right now, his OPS+ sits at 125 and he’s out-performing what was considered initially a bargain deal.

Carlos Carrasco – The second player involved in the trade from the then-called Indians, Carrasco was rotten in an injury-shortened 2021 and league average here in 2022. He came to the Mets with a lifetime 114 ERA+ so he’s been a disappointment. But there’s been value to his 24 starts this year.

Eduardo Escobar – Much like with the Canha deal, the Escobar signing looked like a bargain. The length/option was identical and the cost was less. Escobar joined the Mets with a lifetime 99 OPS+ but was in triple digits for the last four complete seasons. He was a disappointment thru large stretches of the 2022 season but has come alive here recently. His OPS+ is now 95. Basically, he’s been below what should have been expected but better than what they paid.

Rich Hill – With all of the injuries that hit the club in ’21, the Mets needed someone who could pitch every five days and give more innings than an opener. They traded two players to the Rays for Hill, who gave the club exactly what they needed from him. In 13 games, he gave them a 106 ERA+ and posted a 1.0 fWAR. Meanwhile, Matthew Dyer has a .632 OPS in A-ball and Tommy Hunter re-joined the Mets in the offseason. The deal didn’t cost much and Hill was exactly what they’d hope he’d be.

Francisco Lindor – The Mets gave up a fair amount to get Lindor and then signed him to a massive contract. He came to the team with a lifetime 118 OPS+. In his first season in New York, Lindor was a disappointment, with a 100 OPS+. This year has been more like what should have been expected, as he sports a 121 in the category. Of course, Andres Gimenez, one of the players who went to Cleveland in the deal, has a 145 OPS+ and is paid about $30 million fewer than Lindor. Very expensive, in terms of talent sent out and money now paid to him. He’s delivering this year what should have been expected.

Aaron Loup – A cheap addition at 1/$3 million, Loup turned in an outstanding season, with a 427 ERA+ and a 1.6 fWAR for the Mets in 2021. Many were upset that Loup left for the Angels. But this year has been awful and it couldn’t have worked out better for the club.

Starling Marte – He ended up being more expensive than either Canha or Escobar but no one thought the contract he received was out of line. He came to the Mets with a lifetime 116 OPS+ and so far this year has a 131 OPS+, right in line with last year’s 132. He’s easily out-performing his contract.

Trevor May – Thought to be the big bullpen acquisition for ’21, May came in with a lifetime 95 ERA+ but had been significantly better – 140 ERA+ – in the three previous years to joining the Mets. May had a 113 ERA+ last year and this has been an injury-marred season. He wasn’t overly expensive but he hasn’t been worth it, either.

James McCann – Came to the Mets with a lifetime 86 OPS+ but a 114 mark in the previous two years. He’s been injured and ineffective in his two seasons with the Mets, with a 76 OPS+ last year and a 59 mark this season. McCann has been somewhat expensive and certainly not worth it.

Adam Ottavino – Like Loup, Ottavino came on a low-budget deal, signing for 1/$4. All he’s done is put up a 186 OPS+, compared to a lifetime 127 mark. Rarely mentioned as an important acquisition, he’s been the second-best reliever for most of the year.

Kevin Pillar – Signed last year after Almora, he was a better version of the fourth outfielder that the club needed. He came to the Mets with a lifetime 89 OPS+ and delivered an 87, with more playing time than anticipated. Fans were a bit disappointed when he left the team in free agency but he’s out for the year with a fractured shoulder, suffered shortly after he was recalled from the minors, where he spent the majority of his playing time this year. For the Mets, he was inexpensive and delivered exactly what should have been expected.

Max Scherzer – The Mets gave him a contract with the highest AAV and he’s been more than worth it, when healthy. He came with a lifetime 134 ERA+, including a 167 mark in 2021. This year he has a 173 ERA+. The only problem is that it’s the second week of September and he’s made just 20 starts. Three playoff wins and all the missed time will be forgotten.

Jonathan Villar – The Mets signed Villar to be a backup infielder and got the veteran with a lifetime 95 OPS+ on a discount deal, due to his poor performance in the Covid year. Villar went out and played more than anyone expected and delivered a 101 OPS+ in 505 PA. He was an excellent value but few shed any tears when he left as a free agent. And he’s been even worse than Loup away from the Mets in 2022.

Taijuan Walker – Perhaps the hardest player to judge on this list, Walker came to the Mets with a lifetime 109 ERA+ but one marred by injuries. He’s been mostly healthy his two years with the club but few view him as a major piece. He had a 91 ERA+ last year, where he was great in the first half and then hit a wall in the second. Walker’s following a somewhat similar pattern this year, although he currently sits with a 108 ERA+. The injury questions allowed the Mets to pick him up on a team-friendly deal and he’s out-performed his contract. But few are jumping for joy.

*****

This piece started out with an idea – How would the Mets be if Escobar and McCann matched expectations? But not every move works out and the Mets have had more than their fair share of success stories and matched expectations the past two seasons. If Escobar and McCann (and May) are the biggest flops, that’s not too bad.