It’s just a matter of time.
The New York Yankees are bracing themselves for the very real possibility the New York Mets will make a run at free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu. And based on what Mets president Sandy Alderson said Sunday on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio, LeMahieu is just one of several players on the radar. Per the New York Post:
“We’re not waiting for the market to develop,” Alderson said. “We’re trying to be a little more aggressive. But at the same time, it takes two to engage. I do think some segments of the market are going to move more quickly. ... We’re interested in talking to a number of players. We’ve got a number of holes to fill. We’ve got some depth that we need to create. There are a lot of different ways that we can approach this. But we’re hopeful that we can be active players. That’s our intent.”
The Mets have money to burn. Steve Cohen, worth more than $14 billion, is the richest owner in baseball. And since he bought the club earlier this month, he’s the only MLB owner who didn’t suffer financially during the coronavirus-shortened 60-game regular season.
Aside from LeMahieu, the Mets have been linked to Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Houston Astros outfielder George Springer and Cincinnati Reds right-hander Trevor Bauer. Look for the Mets to make serious bids for at least two of the top-flight free agents on the open market.
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.