Over the winter, Mets made ace Max Scherzer the highest paid player, on an annual basis, in baseball history by giving him a three-year $130 million contract. He was the biggest signing in the second year of owner Steven A. Cohen’s overhaul of a franchise that had endured more than its fair share of headaches and losses over the years.
It worked — to an extent. Despite missing nine weeks of the regular season with injuries, Scherzer, 38, was stellar on the mound. And in the clubhouse, he helped change the Mets’ culture and became one of the key leaders that guided them to their first playoff appearance since 2016.