SNY's Andy Martino has been reporting that the Mets are not expected to sign free agent Manny Machado, and Jon Heyman of FanCred shed some more light on the Mets/Machado non-situation on Friday.

Heyman noted that the Mets are "not seen as a player" for Machado, adding that the "sense is that they don't see him as the right player to spend big on."

The 26-year-old Machado could command a deal of 10 or more years worth $300 million or more. A potential Machado deal could also include one or multiple opt-outs.

Machado hit .297/.367/.538 with 37 homers, 35 doubles, 14 stolen bases, and 107 RBI in 162 games this season with the Orioles and Dodgers.

In seven big league seasons, he has hit .282/.335/.487 with 175 homers in 926 games.

Aside from his tremendous offensive production, Machado has been a plus defender at third base every year of his career. Playing primarily shortstop in 2018, he was worth -13 DRS.

While the Mets are not expected to bid on Machado, Heyman notes that doesn't mean they won't make a "splash." That splash could include signing one of the top free agent relievers on the market, with Martino reporting earlier this week that the Mets are weighing runs at Craig Kimbrel, Zach Britton, and other high-end relievers such as Andrew Miller.

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

If ever there was a "right player to spend big on" for the Mets at this point in time, it can be argued that it's Manny Machado.

There could be legitimate reasons why the Mets don't think Machado is a fit -- and it would be interesting to hear those reasons. But on the surface, Machado seems like the perfect player at the perfect time for the Mets. Some reasons why...

Machado is hitting free agency at 26 years old. This is not an Albert Pujols-type situation where an older player is about to get a boatload of money for the back-end of his career.
The Mets have a huge need for right-handed power, and have no one on the horizon to fill third base beyond 2019.
While Machado would be a huge investment, the Mets have zero dollars committed to payroll beyond the 2020 season.

The Mets could potentially land a high-impact bat via trade that would mean a much smaller investment in terms of dollars (such as J.T. Realmuto or Kris Bryant), but making that kind of trade would mean dealing valuable assets from the major league team, farm system or both -- something that should be a fallback option over simply spending on free agents.

There are other strong options on the free agent market, but none as strong as Machado. And when it comes to offensive capability and positional need, there are none who are a better fit.

Popular in the Community