jay87shot’s 2026 Payroll Blueprint:

[jay87shot]

1) Trade Freddy and Megill to NYM, we get Byron Buxton (24 million cash from NYM) and Ronny Mauricio,   Twins get Brandon Sproat, Mark Vientos/Brett Baty, and Ryan Clifford

We get the much needed bat and cash to make him affordable. The Mets get big time pitching with out giving up any big time prospects (sign Cody Bellinger). The Twins get 3 upside now guys with 2 power bats to offset Buxton. I would also have Mauricio learn 1B and some OF to be a super utility and platoon with Bauers (see trade 2). Yeli plays a couple days ago week in left to help keep Buxton healty.

2) Edward Cabrera for Andrew Vaughn, Luke Adams, Tate Kuehner, and Robert Gasser.

This is a bit wonky but the Marlins get a 1B for this year and the future and 2 Marlins style upside arm. We get a top of the rotation arm and still have lots of 1B options for next year. This one really only works if you believe in Bauers at 1B. I think I do, he was really impressive the last month and playoffs get Mauricio and having Burke, Black, Fischer, and Wilken all close helps.

3) German Marquez, 1/2 with incentives and 2nd year team option. I am a big believer that he will have a Brad Keller style turnaround year in the bullpen.

Overall we save some money, get much better offensively. We get more top of the rotation pitching control and have enough relief depth and quality to close games out.

• C: William Contreras ($11.10M)
• 1B: Bauers ($2M)
• 2B: Brice Turang ($4.40M)
• 3B: Caleb Durbin ($0.80M)
• SS: Joey Ortiz ($0.80M)
• LF: Buxton ($7.1M)
• CF: Chourio ($7.25M)
• RF: Sal Frelick ($0.80M)
• DH: Christian Yelich ($26.00M)
• OF: Blake Perkins ($0.80M)
• Utility: Andruw Monasterio ($0.80M)
• 1B/OF: Mauricio ($.8M)
• Backup C: Seigler/Quero ($0.8M)
• SP1: Cabrera ($3.7M)
• SP2: Brandon Woodruff ($22.00M)
• SP3: Jacob Misiorowski ($0.80M)
• SP4: Logan Henderson ($0.80M)
• SP5: Quinn Priester ($0.80M)
• RP: Marquez ($2M)
• RP: Abner Uribe ($0.80M)
• RP: Grant Anderson ($0.80M)
• RP: Jared Koenig ($0.80M)
• RP: Zerpa ($2M)
• RP: Aaron Ashby ($5.70M)
• RP: Myers ($0.80M)
• RP: Hall ($0.8M)

Payroll is 8.48% under budget

[Jopal78]

12 hours ago, jay87shot said:

1) Trade Freddy and Megill to NYM, we get Byron Buxton (24 million cash from NYM) and Ronny Mauricio,   Twins get Brandon Sproat, Mark Vientos/Brett Baty, and Ryan Clifford

We get the much needed bat and cash to make him affordable. The Mets get big time pitching with out giving up any big time prospects (sign Cody Bellinger). The Twins get 3 upside now guys with 2 power bats to offset Buxton. I would also have Mauricio learn 1B and some OF to be a super utility and platoon with Bauers (see trade 2). Yeli plays a couple days ago week in left to help keep Buxton healty.

2) Edward Cabrera for Andrew Vaughn, Luke Adams, Tate Kuehner, and Robert Gasser.

This is a bit wonky but the Marlins get a 1B for this year and the future and 2 Marlins style upside arm. We get a top of the rotation arm and still have lots of 1B options for next year. This one really only works if you believe in Bauers at 1B. I think I do, he was really impressive the last month and playoffs get Mauricio and having Burke, Black, Fischer, and Wilken all close helps.

3) German Marquez, 1/2 with incentives and 2nd year team option. I am a big believer that he will have a Brad Keller style turnaround year in the bullpen.

Overall we save some money, get much better offensively. We get more top of the rotation pitching control and have enough relief depth and quality to close games out.

• C: William Contreras ($11.10M)
• 1B: Bauers ($2M)
• 2B: Brice Turang ($4.40M)
• 3B: Caleb Durbin ($0.80M)
• SS: Joey Ortiz ($0.80M)
• LF: Buxton ($7.1M)
• CF: Chourio ($7.25M)
• RF: Sal Frelick ($0.80M)
• DH: Christian Yelich ($26.00M)
• OF: Blake Perkins ($0.80M)
• Utility: Andruw Monasterio ($0.80M)
• 1B/OF: Mauricio ($.8M)
• Backup C: Seigler/Quero ($0.8M)
• SP1: Cabrera ($3.7M)
• SP2: Brandon Woodruff ($22.00M)
• SP3: Jacob Misiorowski ($0.80M)
• SP4: Logan Henderson ($0.80M)
• SP5: Quinn Priester ($0.80M)
• RP: Marquez ($2M)
• RP: Abner Uribe ($0.80M)
• RP: Grant Anderson ($0.80M)
• RP: Jared Koenig ($0.80M)
• RP: Zerpa ($2M)
• RP: Aaron Ashby ($5.70M)
• RP: Myers ($0.80M)
• RP: Hall ($0.8M)

Payroll is 8.48% under budget

Why would the Mets include 24 million in cash to get Peralta and Megill?? With their salaries and the 24 million, the Mets would be better off in the short and long run simply pouring that cash into a deal for Valdez or Suarez. 

[jay87shot]

On 12/31/2025 at 11:38 AM, Jopal78 said:

Why would the Mets include 24 million in cash to get Peralta and Megill?? With their salaries and the 24 million, the Mets would be better off in the short and long run simply pouring that cash into a deal for Valdez or Suarez. 

Freddy, Megill, and 8 mill for 3 years is like 20 million. My thought would be that the Mets would extend Freddy right away. I doubt the Mets would in all reality add that money but it was a way to financially make Buxton fit into the salary. If need be maybe we would take off the cash portion and not have us receive Mauricio and get a lesser prospect.

[Jopal78]

42 minutes ago, jay87shot said:

Freddy, Megill, and 8 mill for 3 years is like 20 million. My thought would be that the Mets would extend Freddy right away. I doubt the Mets would in all reality add that money but it was a way to financially make Buxton fit into the salary. If need be maybe we would take off the cash portion and not have us receive Mauricio and get a lesser prospect.

Extensions take two to be interested. Peralta took a team friendly extension once before, I’d guess it’s grater than a 99% chance he goes to free agency after 2026 no matter where he’s pitching.