Should The Mets Pursue Kyle Schwarber?

Should the Mets pursue Kyle Schwarber after the lockout?

After team owner Steve Cohen and general manager Billy Eppler spent $254.5 million in free agency to bring in Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha, the Mets sent a clear-cut message to the rest of the baseball world that they are destined to compete in 2022.

However, there are still some holes on the roster that must be addressed once the lockout is over. While the pitching staff is still in need of upgrades in the rotation and bullpen, an additional area that the Mets could certainly improve in is on the offensive side by adding another big bat in the middle of the order.

With all the buzz surrounding the Mets' interest in versatile third baseman Kris Bryant, there is another option they could pursue instead, who will likely garner a cheaper short-term deal.

This individual is free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, who terrorized the Mets last season when he played for the National League East rival Washington Nationals. Fortunately for New York, Schwarber was traded to the Boston Red Sox before the deadline in Late-July, and now, he is available on the market.

Schwarber, 28, belted 32 home runs, drove in 71 RBI and produced a 3.2 bWAR and .928 OPS across 113 games a season ago. With the designated hitter potentially coming to the NL in the new collective bargaining agreement, Schwarber would seemingly be an ideal fit in this spot with the Mets and enhance their lineup with his left-handed power bat.

But not so fast, the Mets are still stuck with 39-year-old Robinson Cano, who is back from his year-long suspension from PEDS and is owed $48 million across the next two seasons. Cano is projected to serve as the Mets' DH next year, unless his skills prove to be diminished, which could make Cohen decide to eat the cash and part ways. But It's still difficult to envision this scenario.

If the Mets choose to keep Cano and add Schwarber, then Schwarber would be their starting left fielder and could possibly split DH duties. But this would ultimately hurt their outfield defense, as Schwarber posted -6 outs above average and -5 defensive runs saved last season in D.C. He also saw time at first base, but wasn't any better there with -3 defensive runs saved across 75 innings.

So, although Schwarber's bat would make the Mets an offensive juggernaut, he is a defensive liability and Cano would likely block him from serving as the primary DH.

On Jan. 7, The New York Post reported that Scherzer could possibly recommend his former Nationals' teammate, Schwarber, to the Mets' front office, as he did with manager Buck Showalter, as sources told Inside the Mets last month.

However, Schwarber just doesn't fit on the current roster that the Mets have constructed as long as Cano is under contract with the team. Schwarber is said to be seeking a three-year, $60 million deal, per NBC Sports Boston. But again, the Mets would be wise to pursue another route for offensive help by going after a candidate who isn't a liability in the field.

Bryant and Trevor Story are two additional targets that the Mets could consider splurging on in free agency. Earlier in the offseason, scouts told NJ Advance Media that Story, a natural shortstop, fits better as a second baseman in the long-term due to elbow strain issues in the past. If the Mets trade Jeff McNeil for pitching help, who sources say is expected to be made available after the work stoppage, they could essentially replace him with Story at second next season.

The Mets' current luxury tax payroll is sitting around $271 million, per RosterResource. If they were to sign another big bat, they'd likely wind up surpassing the $300 million mark prior to the start of the season, which has never been done before. On the same note, Cohen has stated that he is willing to do whatever it takes to win, and in this case, that means spending whatever it takes to win.