There will be a lot of important questions for the New York Mets to answer this offseason, but it appears they finally have the right guy in charge of baseball operations. Steve Cohen’s patience paid off as the Mets landed David Stearns to be their first-ever President of Baseball Operations, and he will have a whole different set of questions to answer than the ones Billy Eppler began last winter with.
After a deadline fire sale got rid of some expensive veterans, the Mets now have a younger roster with significant pitching needs as well as a few offensive areas of concern they would like to address. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest questions facing Stearns and the Mets this winter as they look to get back to the playoffs in 2024.
Who succeeds Buck Showalter and Billy Eppler?
Stearns has to build a new braintrust at two of the most important positions in the organization after firing Showalter and seeing Eppler resign as a result of a league investigation into the Mets’ use of the phantom injured list. Finding a replacement for Showalter is more important because Stearns can assume the role of lead decision maker in baseball operations, although hiring a proper replacement for Eppler would help ease some of the day-to-day burden of the department. The Mets are reportedly casting a wide net to look for their next manager although industry speculation has them strongly linked to Stearns’ former manager in Milwaukee, Craig Counsell, whose contract expired at the end of the season.
What happens with Pete Alonso?
The biggest on-field question for a current Met is what to do with Alonso, who has one more year of club control left before reaching free agency after the 2024 season. Stearns indicated that he plans to have Alonso be the team’s first baseman on Opening Day but declined to offer any indications into whether he planned to try and lock up the Polar Bear to a long-term deal. Alonso recently switched agents to Scott Boras, who has struck deals with Cohen for Max Scherzer and Brandon Nimmo while coming close to a huge contract for Carlos Correa, so it is entirely possible this drags on through the season.
How many of the Mets’ arbitration eligible players get retained?
The Mets have a whopping 16 players eligible for arbitration. That group is headlined by Alonso, who is projected to earn about $22 million in 2024, but the list also includes plenty of expendable players like Michael Perez, Danny Mendick, Rafael Ortega and Sam Coonrod. With the need for 40 man roster spots to protect prospects and add new players, don’t be shocked if at least half of the arbitration eligible players get let go.
Will the Mets make a run at Shohei Ohtani?
There won’t be a bigger free agent on the board than Ohtani, whose stock took a slight hit when he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery for a second time. That procedure will keep him from pitching in 2024 but Ohtani should still be able to hit, making him a tremendous fit for a Mets’ team that needs power behind Alonso and Francisco Lindor. Cohen is believed to be very interested in Ohtani since he views star Japanese players as a natural way to use the Mets to promote his hedge fund business in Japan, although we don’t know yet how willing Ohtani is to move to the East Coast full time. The Mets will likely have the highest bid for Ohtani’s services.
How will the Mets fill their starting pitching needs?
The Mets have two locked in starters for 2024 with Kodai Senga and Jose Quintana. Carlos Carrasco is a free agent who won’t be brought back while the glut of Joey Lucchesi, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Jose Butto shouldn’t inherit more than one spot in the rotation. That leaves room for at least two additions via free agency with the Mets’ top target likely being Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is just 25 years old and is more highly regarded than Kodai Senga was last winter. Bidding on Yamamoto will be expensive but his age works in his favor since the Mets would be getting Yamamoto’s prime years. Pairing a guy like Yamamoto with a shorter term deal for a fourth starter, such as Hyun-Jin Ryu or Lance Lynn, would give the Mets more oomph in their rotation while not clogging things up long term.
What will the Mets’ bullpen look like in 2024?
The return of Edwin Diaz, who missed all of 2023 after tearing the patella tendon in his right knee, will be a big help to the bullpen. The Mets will likely pick up Brooks Raley’s option while Adam Ottavino should exercise his player option, giving the Mets three solid arms to start with. Stearns will have to make decisions on the glut of arbitration eligible relievers, which includes Drew Smith, Trevor Gott, and Jeff Brigham, while finding a way to add two relievers capable of pitching in the late innings. It would also be nice to find a reliable long man to fill the role Trevor Williams vacated after the 2022 season, which someone like Lucchesi or Butto could fill internally.
How much rope do the Mets give their young players?
While Francisco Alvarez did enough to win the catching job going forward, the Mets have to decide whether they’ve seen enough out of Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio to either hand them starting jobs or push them with veteran pickups. Letting Baty and Mauricio compete for the third base job in spring training would be a cost effective solution to that position, freeing the Mets’ money to add more pitching, but if they both can’t seize the opportunity in front of them it would be problematic. Vientos’ path to playing time is a bit more limited, especially if the Mets are able to land a full-time DH, but he could still play an important role spelling Pete Alonso at first base and serving as a power threat off the bench.
What kinds of veteran bats should the Mets pursue?
The Mets will likely add a veteran bat to their roster, either in the form of a big splash like Ohtani or by pursuing a free agent stop gap to bide more time for their younger prospects to develop in the minor leagues. Left field makes a lot of sense for an upgrade, either in the form of a reunion with Mark Canha or Tommy Pham or bringing in a guy with pop like Joc Peterson. Jeff McNeil’s versatility also gives the Mets flexibility if they choose to add an infielder since McNeil could play a corner outfield spot if necessary.
Is a Juan Soto trade a possibility?
The Mets would have to check in with the Padres about Soto, who could be on the trade market again due to the fact that San Diego has to cut roughly $50 million in payroll to be compliant with MLB rules about debt servicing. A lot of teams would like a shot at Soto for one year but the infusion of prospects the Mets got at the deadline would at least get them a seat at the table in discussions. Signing Ohtani would likely take the Mets out of the Soto mix but if they do swing a deal it would be with an eye towards signing Soto to a long-term extension.
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