Even before it was revealed in February that Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on track to reach free agency this fall, many speculated that New York Mets owner Steve Cohen had already devised a plan with team president of baseball operations David Stearns to pursue Guerrero.
It now seems that some baseball pundits think the Mets won’t be active participants in the Guerrero sweepstakes.
“Despite the speculation and the Mets’ well-stocked cash drawer, folks don’t believe they’d be the one to pay [Guerrero],” MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday. “People around the game don’t see Mets honcho David Stearns spending that much money on a slugging first baseman — even a young one.”
Heyman offered his update after previous stories revealed that Guerrero requested “$500M in present value” during negotiations with the Blue Jays. Interestingly, Heyman suggested Toronto could eventually close the gap and hold onto Guerrero, partly because the Jays have had “difficulty luring stars” in free agency, such as Mets outfielder Juan Soto.
In February, Cohen acknowledged that free agency is “always more expensive than you can imagine.” The fact that he has Soto, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Brandon Nimmo locked down via big-money deals could result in the Mets letting a team such as the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox give Guerrero his desired contract.
Additionally, numerous MLB reporters and analysts have repeatedly mentioned that Stearns “never prioritized first base” throughout his eight seasons as an executive with the Milwaukee Brewers. Most Mets fans love Pete Alonso, but he only received a two-year contract that included a player opt-out after this season to return to the club in February.
Some within the organization seemingly hope third baseman Brett Baty will become a revelation this year to the point that 2024 breakout star Mark Vientos can move to first. Such a scenario would make Guerrero surplus to the requirements of the Amazins.
Then again, Cohen could ultimately ignore Stearns’ wishes if the 2025 Mets fail to at least reach the playoffs.