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The New York Mets have been in on a number of top free agents, but they've been completely unable to land any of them thus far. Instead, they've had to settle for some low-budget deals, especially after being subject to the highest luxury tax bill ever after last season's payroll.
They haven't landed the big stars, and have resorted to signing budget players to add depth and fill out a roster. Other big name players are still available, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Mets will go after them.
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That brings in Chad Smith, a former Colorado Rockies reliever who was signed to a minor league deal today. It's not an inspiring signing for the fan base, who had dreams of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It has them less than inspired for the upcoming season.
Mets fans are unhappy that the team that set records spending last year is attempting to be more frugal this time around. It failed spectacularly, as the big signings didn't pan out and even Justin Verlander had to be traded at the deadline.
Mets still looking for free agent splash
The Mets were all in on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, meeting with him twice and offering him a contract of $300 million. They, much like the New York Yankees, balked at giving him the same contract the Los Angeles Dodgers offered him.
Ultimately, it left New York (both of them) on the outside looking in. Unlike the Yankees, the Mets haven't made a splashy addition this year yet. They're still looking for one.
They've been interested in several, but their top free agent targets were certainly Ohtani and Yamamoto, who both went to LA. There are still players left, like Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell and others, but the Mets have yet to make a big move.
The fan base that genuinely believed in last year's team that ultimately failed are upset that they're not giving it another go. They struggled, and spending in areas of need is often a way to fix those. The Mets haven't done so just yet, and fans are growing impatient.
