Billy Eppler explains Mets' deadline plans, 2024 outlook after Max Scherzer trade
The Mets dealt RHPs Max Scherzer and David Robertson this weekend, but New York's approach to Tuesday's MLB trade deadline is not a fire sale, GM Billy Eppler explained before Sunday's 1:40 p.m. game against the Washington Nationals.
"We're going to listen, but our price points are high," Eppler said. "We have valuations on our existing personnel, and the bar's high to meet it. But we are willing, in certain circumstances, to use (owner Steve Cohen's) investment and kind of repurpose that investment to serve the larger goal -- which is to build a championship organization. The other day, I was talking a little bit about to build a championship team.
"At the same time, you're talking about trying to build a championship organization. And you're trying to serve both of those masters. And when circumstances arise, you want to kind of embrace your reality and make the best be it your best, regardless of your circumstances. And so, we used this opportunity to bring a player into the organization that we're extremely excited about -- that's close to the big leagues, talent that you can't access (otherwise).
"And generally, with clubs that are going to go through a rebuild, you have to endure like five, six, seven years of losing. And we don't have the appetite for that. We're not going to do that. And so, what we want to do is we want to use Steve's investment and enhance this farm system and get us to our larger goal."
Eppler's comments come at a time where all eyes are on what the Mets will do -- or not -- with Justin Verlander, as SNY's Andy Martino reported.
"That doesn't mean we're punting 2024, OK?" Eppler said. "We're going to have a competitive team. And like I said, we just don't want to endure long stretches of being bad. And that's not going to be satisfying to anybody. And so, Steve's made the investment. He wants an elite farm system. He's articulated that. I know I've kind of regurgitated that goal and shared that goal. And that's what we're after."
After Saturday's 11-6 loss to the Nationals, a trio of Mets -- Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo -- were candid about what Scherzer's move could mean for New York's future.
"I got a chance to talk to Francisco last night," said Eppler, who later added that he had not yet spoken with Alonso. "I texted with Nimmo. But one of the unfortunate kind of collateral-damage aspects of kind of the trade-deadline era is that -- especially in a complication situation like Max's was, where you have a no-trade (clause) and you also have a player option to satisfy. And so, that slowed the process where -- I mean, we're announcing it, what, 1:05 on Sunday?
"So I don't even remember where this started to break, but the unfortunate spot that our players are put in is the organization can't officially speak on this. So I can't provide them the comfort, and that -- that doesn't sit well with me, you know? But they become the collateral damage on that, and they have to stand up and they have to answer questions. And that's not a great spot to be in, and I empathize with them.
"So I talked to Francisco, I texted with Nimmo once I was kind of done talking with Texas and with Max's agent, Scott (Boras), and (Scherzer) was already gone because we have a day game today. So we just said, 'Let's connect in the morning.' So we spent 35 minutes this morning together and talked. And these guys all understand. They understand -- it's not a fire sale and it's not liquidation. So they got it."
Although the plan is to compete again in 2024, Eppler was realistic about the outlook compared to 2023.
"I don't think we will be walking into 2024 with the same preseason odds that we did in 2022, 2023," Eppler said. "And I've talked with a number of you, either on record or just standing around the field in spring training -- one of the things that we like to look at is take the Vegas look, take what you guys say, take your predictions and really kind of source that through the public channels to get a sense of, like, 'OK, how good do people think we are?
"'How good do we think we are? Let's get an outside view and crowdsource that outside view.' And so, that was putting us at certain win projections. And I don't know if we'll walk in at the exact same odds. But like I said, we're going to take pride in how we go about the game, how we play the game and the club next year on the field."
Time will tell on what happens in free agency this winter, but the market is not one that the Mets "want to rely on to build a championship team," Eppler explained.
"It's a market that we want to use to enhance the team that we have, but we would rather go to that market for opportunities than necessity," Eppler said. "And so, we're not there yet. That's going to take a little bit of time. And so, we're still going to have to invest through free agency."
"I mean, we're going to have to be in the free-agent market this year," Eppler added. "I don't like to speak publicly about payroll, because there's kind of a competitive aspect of that, but we're going to have to go into it. But we also know that it's not the answer to build a championship organization."
The Mets entered Sunday seven games out of the third NL Wild Card spot, but Eppler expects the team to attack the next two months.
"These guys have a lot of pride in what they do," Eppler said. "And so, I know the will and the pride and just kind of honoring the job description of being a Major League Baseball (player). I'm not worried about that at all with this group. The character's very high in that locker room. But at the same token, what I'm looking for -- I'm really excited to continue to watch Brett (Baty), Francisco (Alvarez), Mark Vientos and seeing some of the players that are signed up here for years to come continue to grow and continue to be tested in game-like situations and to see how they handled. And so, that's what I'm looking forward to.
"But at the same token, with some of the guys that we're potentially going to call up, I think that'll breathe a little life in as well."
