Steve Cohen and the New York Mets’ perilous pursuit of free agency
By Bill Felber
2014
Easily the big free agent name that offseason was Robinson Cano, who left the Bronx to accept a 10-year, $240 million offer from the Seattle Mariners. Cano lasted five seasons in Seattle, batting .296. But his mega-salary — amounting to nearly one-third of the team’s entire payroll — hamstrung the Mariners so much that they never maneuvered into a playoff spot.
Following a 2018 drug policy-related suspension, Cano’s contract was dealt to the Mets, and he remains there today. He has not yet played a single postseason game under the terms of that 10-year contract.
Three other players signed free agent deals in the $130 to $160 million range that winter. Here’s how they worked out.
- Masahiro Tanaka went for seven years and $155 million to the Yankees. A 78-46 pitcher during the regular season, he was 5-4 in 10 postseason appearances, but his Yanks never advanced beyond the 2017 and 2019 ALCS. Tanaka was 2-2 in those two series.
- Jacoby Ellsbury also signed with the Yankees, for seven years and $153 million. He lasted parts of four seasons before injuries derailed his usefulness. In those four seasons, Ellsbury batted .264 and averaged about 50 RBI per season.
Ellsbury played in seven postseason games for New York, going hitless in 13 official at-bats. The Yankees continued to pay him through the length of the deal, including a $5 million buyout in 2021.
- The Texas Rangers got outfielder Shin Soo Choo to agree to a seven-year, $14 million contract. Choo batted.260 for the Rangers with 114 home runs. But his team only reached postseason play twice, losing to the Blue Jays in both the 2015 and 2016 ALDS. Choo batted .209 with one home run in those two series.