The Major League Baseball offseason has been ongoing since the Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series, and the New York Mets still have work to do before the beginning of spring training. If they want to make a run for the postseason this year — despite owner Steve Cohen’s plan to gear toward a 2025 run — some necessities still need to be addressed. Let’s look at what exactly they have to do to complete their offseason and be ready for the 2024 season.
What Mets Still Need to Address Before Offseason is Finished
Sign a Designated Hitter
After the departure of Daniel Vogelbach, it’s obvious that the Mets need a reliable designated hitter. Yes, president of baseball operations David Stearns said that the team adding another bat might not be essential. Well, the problem with that is if the season started today, Mark Vientos would likely be the guy who gets the majority of playing time in that role. It’s a problem due to lack of productivity and slow starts from him, which is why he was demoted to the minor leagues at one point last season. He does have a chance to be a good hitter, but it certainly is a best-case scenario for the Mets to acquire someone more reliable and consistent.
There are multiple reports about the Mets being highly interested in Jorge Soler. Honestly, why not get him? The 31-year-old free-agent designated hitter has a ton of power when he swings the bat. He hit 36 home runs and posted over 128 OPS with the Miami Marlins last season, which helped him become an All-Star for the first time in his entire MLB career. If you’re a Mets fan, you should ask yourself “What would I rather have? A guy with potential to be good offensively or a veteran whose statistics prove that they’re worth signing as a full-time designated hitter?”
Justin Turner and J.D. Martinez are alternative options. If Soler signs elsewhere, Turner would make sense to sign as he is a former Met and had an incredible run with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then last season as a designated hitter for the Boston Red Sox. This doesn’t mean the Martinez wouldn’t make sense for them, but Turner probably would be the better option. After all, Ronny Mauricio is likely to miss the 2024 season after having surgery on a torn ACL, so if they could find a designated hitter who could also play third base, even better.
Add Another Bullpen Arm or Two
Stearns is very committed to upgrading the bullpen. There have been relievers that the Mets already added, although Jorge López is the only one of them with a fully guaranteed contract for the major leagues. So, it would be vital to add one or two more relievers to help López alongside Edwin Díaz, Brooks Raley, and Drew Smith.
David Robertson would probably be a great option. He was on the Mets last season and did a great job being the closer after Díaz got hurt before the regular season. While he struggled a bit on the Marlins after he was traded, he has all the potential in the world to be a solid eighth-inning reliever behind Díaz. Additionally, the Mets could go for guys like Matt Moore, Brent Suter, or Wandy Peralta.
What Else?
Well, you could make the argument and say that the Mets should get another outfielder. However, they signed Harrison Bader a couple of weeks ago, so that might be an indication that they’re done shopping the outfield but we’ll see. They could also see about getting another catcher to back up Francisco Alvarez since they’re open to trading Omar Narváez. And, let’s not forget, Pete Alonso still hasn’t gotten locked up yet. He did avoid arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $20.5 million contract. That might be a sign of hope that he could stay with the Mets long-term, but all that’s known is this team is still not out of the woods yet toward completing this offseason.
Main Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
