The New York Mets threw in a lot of money to get Justin Verlander, but compared to the Atlanta Braves’ payroll, it sure isn’t a good look.
The Mets recently lost their nickname Jacob deGrom, so in turn, they hit the market by signing Justin Verlander. Last season, they signed Max Scherzer, and according to ESPN’s Paul HempikidisNew York will pay the two a total of $173.3 million over the next two seasons.
Compared to the Braves, Atlanta pays about the same amount (slightly less) for Matt Olson, Ronald Acuna Jr., Raizel Iglesias, Austin Riley, Ozzie Alpes, Michael Harris II, and Spencer Stryder combined.
The Braves have been roughly the same caliber as the Mets this season, too. Atlanta knocked New York out of first place in the NL East during the final week of the regular season, and they’ve had more success in the postseason during 2010 than the Mets, including winning the World Series in 2021.
Verlander has certainly been a fine addition this off-season, but he’s basically going to fill the remaining gap rather than bolster the squad, as he would have done with the still-existing deGrom.
The Braves are very smart about building their farm, making for a low-cost, yet championship-caliber team.
The Braves made big moves in their farm system, while keeping costs low
Of the combined players who roughly equaled Verlander and Scherzer’s earnings over the next two seasons, all but two came directly from the farm system. Harris and Stryder, in particular, have both started their careers over the past two seasons, and they’ve been really effective so far.
While it takes time to build a good farm, the Braves prove to be an effective strategy that allows them a great deal of flexibility if they want to invest in top players.
It’s not necessarily a bad thing that the Mets have invested so much in star players, but it certainly shines a good spotlight on the Braves for their spending habits.
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