Evan

So the Mets are clearly okay and comfortable with what I like to call the short-term contract tax, which is we're going to pay a certain amount of money on a shorter-term deal.

They were going to spend $60, so we're going to spend a portion of that anyways.

And it's different than just saying Juan Soto makes $50, Aaron Judge makes this.

Dude, they signed long-term deals.

You're paying a premium to get a guy on a short-term deal.

So that's BS.

That's not the panic.

The panic...

to me, and I'm okay with it, is agreeing to an opt-out after the first year.

Because what you're agreeing to do is not only give up the draft pick compensation associated with signing a free agent who rejected the qualifying offer, but you're okay giving that up and also losing the player after one year.

So you're essentially, it's like a trade at the trade deadline, you're trading two potentially good prospects for a rental.

And I don't think, knowing David Stearns,

He really ideally wants to do that.

In fact, screw it.

He told me the one time I've had a face-to-face with him because I pushed him about Jordan Montgomery.

I did.

And then, obviously, I got that wrong about signing him.

And he said...

Do you really want to give up the draft picks attached to it for a guy who can opt out after one year?

And I understood the point.