(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Despite initial MLB rumors that enlivened the fan base, the New York Yankees missed out on three key free agents that they were too cheap to sign. Of the two New York teams, it was assumed that the Yankees would win out in free agency over the turbulent, turnover-ridden Mets.
That’s no longer the case. On Monday, the Mets finalized a deal with ace pitcher Max Scherzer in a record $130 million deal over three years.
While the Mets are known to overspend on players like Francisco Lindor, Scherzer was worth the splurge that the Yankees were unwilling to pull off.
While the Yankees are still frontrunners to sign Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, an impending MLB lockout cools talks for as long as the two sides fail to reach an amenable collective bargaining agreement.
Until then, the Yankees will be forced to contemplate on the big fish they missed out on in this year’s free agency — especially the ones they baited and could have easily reeled into Yankee Stadium.
3. Max Scherzer
For weeks, the Yankees have been considered a potential landing spot for former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer.
After a playoff-bound season, Scherzer was looking to land a high-paying record deal worth his value, but as they did with Justin Verlander, the Yankees passed on paying him his asking price.
What adds salt to the wound in this cut is that Scherzer signed with their crosstown rival, the New York Mets.
What’s even more stinging is that Scherzer’s AAV blew past that of Gerrit Cole, who is signed on with the Yankees in a nine-year, $324 million deal inked in 2020.
While New York is equipped with Cole for the next decade, having an experienced vet like Scherzer is exactly what the Yankees were in the market for — and now, they likely won’t be able to find.