The Crane Pool Forum

According to MLB reporter Héctor Gómez, catcher Francisco Álvarez is “close to signing an extension with the Mets.”

SNY’s Andy Martino reported that an extension “would definitely make sense,” but there’s nothing close right now.

Álvarez is not due for arbitration until 2026, and even without knowing the specifics of the deal, the Mets will likely buy out all of his arbitration years and some of the 22-year-old’s free agency years at a cheaper rate than he could eventually earn as a free agent in the open market. He is earning $720,000 this season.

Will Sammon, The Athletic wrote:If the Mets were going to agree to any extension with catcher Francisco Alvarez soon, it would probably make the most sense after the season starts.

That’s because of the ramifications any such agreement ahead of the season would have on payroll. Since they are over the final luxury tax threshold, the Mets face stiff penalties, essentially paying a 110 percent hit on a player’s annual average value. So extending a player like Alvarez now would mean a higher salary number for the competitive balance tax and one that they’d be paying a 110 percent penalty on.

nymr83 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:41 pm Has there ever been a long term deal for a pre arb player that didn't turn ok for the club? These seem pretty low risk

edit: Immediately after posting this I remembered Wandor Franco. So I'll revise the question: Has there been a long term pre-arb deal that didn't work out ok for the club just lookingat on-field performance?