The Mets paid big money to a shortstop following a trade when they inked Francisco Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract prior to the 2021 season.
Lindor is locked in as the Mets’ shortstop of the future, but the Mets now face another opportunity to sign another shortstop to a big contract.
Javier Baez will be a free agent this winter after joining the Mets in a midseason trade from the Chicago Cubs. And from what Sandy Alderson said toward the end of the season, it’s far from a certainty that Baez will remain with the Mets.
“Is it possible? Yes. Is it realistic? Maybe,” Alderson said in September. “It’s hard for me to put odds on it. Does Javy want to be here? Did he enjoy his stay? What could be expected from him over the next several years? A lot of things that go into any free-agent decision. But to say, ‘No, there’s absolutely no way that Javy Baez could be part of the Mets next year,’ no, I wouldn’t be prepared to say that at this point.”
As the Mets start to make decisions about the future of their team, Baez’s name will be discussed. And while keeping him won’t be cheap, there are plenty of legitimate reasons why the Mets should pursue a new deal.
The Mets need all the offense they can get
It’s no secret that offense was one of the Mets’ biggest weaknesses in 2021. When they were riding high in first place in the first half of the season, strong pitching helped mask some of the offense’s struggles. But once that fell back to earth, the offense couldn’t produce enough to keep the team afloat in the standings.
The Mets will certainly look to upgrade their offense this winter, and they have one option in Baez sitting right in front of them.
Between the Cubs and Mets, Baez hit 31 home runs in 2021, surpassing the 30-home run mark for the second time in his career. He’s hit 23 or more home runs in each of the past four full seasons (he hit eight during the shortened 2020 season).
Baez has the track record of being a catalyst in the middle of a lineup. With Lindor and Pete Alonso already in the mix, the Mets would have a strong foundation with those three in the heart of the order.
Lindor wants to play with Baez
The Mets paid big money to keep Lindor in New York for 10 years, and they’ll certainly listen to him as they attempt to build a contender around the shortstop.
And Lindor certainly wants Baez back with the Mets. The two are longtime friends, and they talked about potentially playing together even before July’s trade was made.
Given Baez’ ability to play a strong second base, it would be an easy fit to keep him in the lineup with Lindor.
Baez was one of the team’s top performers down the stretch
The Mets’ results after trading for Baez on July 30 were far from ideal. They slipped from first to third place in the NL East, falling out of the playoff race during the final two months of the season.
But it’s hard to fault Baez for that. Following a slow start and a stint on the IL in August, he turned into one of the Mets’ most reliable hitters down the stretch. In September, Baez hit .347 with five home runs and 14 RBI.
Baez also benefited from reducing one of his worst traits. Known as a free swinger who rarely walks, Baez was much more disciplined at the plate, walking 10 times in the final month. He had just 18 walks in the first five months of the season. That refined approach kept him swinging at better pitches, and the results showed.
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Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com.
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