The New York Mets' five biggest contracts right now from Francisco Lindor to Brandon Nimmo

The New York Mets front office's spending is the envy of Major League Baseball fans across the country.

With major deals to bring back Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz, and add Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana, among others, the Mets' luxury tax payroll is estimated to be about $349.5 million for the 2023 season, according to FanGraphs.

Owner Steve Cohen has proven that he's willing to spend at a record rate to try and bring a World Series title to Flushing.

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The Cohen era has already produced some hefty deals. But with the amount of money that has been shelled out to a handful of players comes great risk.

Here are the biggest concerns and questions associated with the Mets' five biggest contracts:

Francisco Lindor: 10 years, $341 million

Francisco Lindor's first two seasons in a decade-long deal with the Mets could not have been more different.

In his first season, Lindor slashed a career-low .230/.322/.412 with 20 home runs, 63 RBI and 73 runs. But the Mets shortstop provided a glimpse into what he's capable of during the 2022 season, driving in a career-high 107 runs, which was tied for fifth-most in MLB, while hitting .270/.339/.449 with 26 home runs and 98 runs.

Lindor still has plenty of years left in his prime, but the last two seasons have been a few ticks below his .812 OPS, which earned him the biggest contract in Mets history. He'll need a few more extra-base hits to reassert that pop. And with such a long deal, there is always the question of how long he'll have the athleticism to remain as an elite defender.

Brandon Nimmo: 8 years, $162 million

The Mets did not believe they could afford to lose Brandon Nimmo in the leadoff position in their lineup or for his range in center field. That meant that they tendered him one of the biggest contracts in this free-agent cycle.

The 29-year-old is coming off the best season of his career, which included new personal-highs in RBI (64), runs (102) and doubles (30). Nimmo has spent his whole career with the Mets since his first-round selection back in 2011. Now, there is a strong chance he could spend his entire career in Flushing with some speculation that he might deserve the captain title.

But Nimmo needs to continue to prove his durability over the life of this contract. In the three seasons prior to 2022, including a COVID-shortened 2020, Nimmo played an average of 72 games per campaign. He dealt with hip, hamstring and neck injuries during those seasons. His on-base percentage slipped to .367 last season, and the Mets will hope he can get that back above .400 as it had been for three of the previous four seasons.

Max Scherzer: 3 years, $130 million

When Max Scherzer came on board last offseason, the $43.33 million-per-season salary set a new MLB record for average annual value.

In the early going, Scherzer proved he was worth the money. In his first eight starts, he was 5-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. But then he exited a start against the Cardinals and missed nearly seven weeks with an oblique strain.

That injury manifested itself in September as he hit the IL with oblique fatigue. Scherzer finished the season with an impressive 11-5 record with a 2.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in 145.1 innings, but questions of wear and tear surfaced after two tough starts to close the campaign against the Braves and then Padres in the NL Wild Card series.

The Mets need Scherzer to hold up and produce in the season's clutch moments. A tough season and Scherzer is likely to opt in to his $43.3 million player option for 2024, while Scherzer's best-case performance could call that into question.

Edwin Diaz: 5 years, $102 million

After his second All-Star season, Diaz was one of the first names off the free-agent market as the Mets gave him a record deal for a reliever on the day after the World Series.

For the second time in his career, Diaz received Cy Young and Most Valuable Player votes after notching 32 saves with a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts of the 235 batters he faced this season.

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Now, "Narco" could be playing at Citi Field for the next half decade. The concern might be the up-and-down nature of Diaz's career. He had ERAs of 5.59 and 3.45 in 2019 and 2021 with the Mets, respectively. While his fastball and slider are among the most vicious in the game, Diaz does not have a third pitch that he can regularly rely on if one of those goes astray.

Diaz's contract includes a player option ahead of the 2026 season and a club option for 2028, so any downturn in performance would likely put the Mets on the hook for four seasons.

Justin Verlander: 2 years, $86.6 million

The Mets needed a contingency after Jacob deGrom decided to head to Texas and sign a five-year, $185 million deal with the Rangers. They got a pretty good one by convincing American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander to come to New York.

The right-hander posted an MLB-best 1.75 ERA across 28 starts with the World Series champion Astros last season. He was 18-4 with a WHIP of 0.83 and 185 strikeouts in 175 strikeouts.

But there is some anxiousness as Verlander moves into his age-40 season. He missed a few starts in early September with a right calf injury and showed strong fortitude after missing nearly two whole seasons after Tommy John surgery.

Like Scherzer, the Mets will need Verlander to rise up when it matters most. He has posted an ERA greater than 4.00 across his last three runs in the MLB postseason.

Verlander's deal has a $35 million vesting option for 2025.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets biggest contracts: Questions and issues with those deals