It won’t be the Mets landing stud catcher JT Realmuto this offseason, as they’ve elected to veer into free agency to add another bat.
Source: Mets are in agreement with Wilson Ramon pending physical, it's true
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 16, 2018
Ramos is due $8.25M in 2019 & $9.25M in 2020. Plus $1.5M buyout for the 2021 team option of $10M, that’s $19M guaranteed, per source.
And apologies for any delay or lack of credit; I’m on a plane. @DaniAlvarez_16 had Ramos agreement first. @SteveGelbs is sitting across from me.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) December 16, 2018
Ramos, 31, broke out with the bat in 2016, blew out his knee, and then raked again in 2018, his first full season back from the injury. There’s risk there, given his age and a serious knee injury, but the bat plays. Defensively, he’s not bad either, so this could wind up a substantial upgrade for a Mets club that clearly hopes to contend while they still have Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard atop the rotation.
Presumably, Travis d’Arnaud will now become the defensively-minded back-up in New York, or the Mets could deal d’Arnaud and give the job to Kevin Plawecki (or vice versa). The Cubs are in the market for a defensive-minded veteran back-up catcher, so it’s conceivable that d’Arnaud could fall into that category. The 29-year-old has battled injuries, but he’s an excellent receiver, a decent defender, and he won’t kill you as a back-up catcher at the plate.