The New York Mets lost Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, and Chris Bassitt to free agency.
The first two have already signed free agent deals elsewhere: deGrom will pitch in Texas and Walker will go to Philadelphia; while Bassitt is highly unlikely to return.
However, despite losing that much talent, the Mets have done a good job filling out their rotation.
They signed reigning AL Cy Young Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million contract this week and added lefty Jose Quintana to the fold on Wednesday, by paying $26 million over two seasons.
Their rotation is now as follows: Max Scherzer, Verlander, Carlos Carrasco, Quintana, David Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Joey Lucchesi.
One more quality arm and the Mets pitching staff would be finalized.
The recent signings have pushed the Mets further over the CBT (competitive balance tax) threshold.
The Mets Have Blown Past The Steve Cohen Tax And Are OK With It
Jeff Passan explains the situation and how much they have to pay in taxes if they call it an offseason (which they likely won’t).
“Currently, the Mets’ CBT payroll is ~$298 million. With the Jose Quintana signing, they are now over the Steve Cohen Tax threshold, and every dollar they spend gets taxed at 90%. If they stop spending today, their total tax bill would be ~$34 million. But they’re not stopping,” he tweeted.
Currently, the Mets' CBT payroll is ~$298 million. With the Jose Quintana signing, they are now over the Steve Cohen Tax threshold, and every dollar they spend gets taxed at 90%. If they stop spending today, their total tax bill would be ~$34 million. But they're not stopping.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 7, 2022
The so-called “Steve Cohen Tax Threshold” Passan references is the new fourth-tier of the CBT, at $60 million over the base.
Cohen has clearly shown he isn’t afraid of any taxes, blowing past all thresholds and hunting for more.
The Mets are not done: they would love to add another pitcher and re-sign Brandon Nimmo.
Money is, evidently, not an obstacle for Cohen and the Mets.
NEXT: The Mets Land Another Starting Pitcher Wednesday