With the heavy spending put forth by the New York Mets this offseason, their payroll is through the roof (projected over $400 million post-luxury tax). As a result, it has led to some speculation with regard to current players under contract who could take some stress off of that massive payroll.
Two of the top Mets to be brought up in trade talks have been Carlos Carrasco and James McCann. Carrasco is entering the final year of his contract and is owed a salary of $14 million. He is slated to round out the Mets’ promising rotation as the fifth starter. McCann has two years and $24 million ($12 million AAV) left on his deal. Not only has he drastically underperformed, but the Mets have a crowded group of catchers following the recent signing of Omar Narvaez.
Recently, it was confirmed by Andy Martino of SNY that the Mets have indeed been talking to teams about both Carrasco and McCann.
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Do the Mets have any takers on Carlos Carrasco, James McCann?
Starting with Carrasco, Michael Marino of Sports Illustrated reported last night that teams are interested in him. With the one-year, $14 million deal remaining, Carrasco, coming off a 15-win season, certainly offers some strong value to a potential buyer.
The Mets could go either way with Carrasco. He is a much more proven, known commodity than David Peterson and Tylor Megill. At the same time, Carrasco did struggle down the stretch of 2022 and turns 36 in March. In the end, it might be best for the Mets to hold on to Carrasco and keep their strong starting pitching depth intact for 2023.
Then, with McCann, Marino said the catcher has been “widely known to be available for a few weeks.” He followed that up by sharing that a release later down the road this offseason could very well come about should there be no trade.
While Carrasco should remain a Met, McCann’s tenure in Queens has run its course. With Narvaez, Tomas Nido, and top-rated prospect Francisco Alvarez, the Mets have too much in place at catcher, making McCann more than expendable. Hopefully, for the Mets, some team in dire need of a catcher is willing to take on some of his remaining contract.
So, in the end, to no surprise, Carrasco is the one with some takers around the league. McCann, on the other hand, barring something unforeseen, will be a challenge for the Mets to move.