How to Mets can start to change their offseason
When Steve Cohen asked Mets fans to come to Citi Field to support the team last season, they came in droves. The Mets set a new attendance record, despite a lackluster year that saw the Amazin bow out of the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
The fans succeeded on their side. Now they want the Mets to keep their end of the bargain.
There is considerable anger after the club traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo and let Edwin Diaz and first baseman Pete Alonso move to other teams. David Stearns visited SNY during the winter meetings earlier this month and said that while he understood that fans were upset with how the season ended, he was optimistic about the team he was putting together.
The president of baseball operations missed the mark with this speech. It’s not about how the season ended, but how the offseason has gone so far. Losing three fan favorites who were also productive players left holes in the roster and might leave holes in the seats, but so be it. Stearns made the moves he felt he needed to make.
“It’s something we talk about a lot, and we have a lot of those conversations,” Stearns said during the winter meetings in Orlando. “We had them throughout this offseason. We also had them throughout last offseason, when we were faced with some decisions, and that’s part of it. I’ve said it before. I can’t tell you I know exactly how to weigh that, right? I think we do our best to weigh the full impact of any player on our team, on our organization, and we make the best decision we can.”
As player after player left the board, Mets fans continued to seethe. The signing of Jorge Polanco did little to temper that anger. With Polanco coming off a great season with the Seattle Mariners, the Mets signed him to play first base – a position in which he has no experience.
Sure, there’s still plenty of offseason left, but some of the best options to fill holes on the roster have now signed elsewhere. Stearns seems stuck on short-term contracts and his handling of Diaz has left many wondering what exactly he does.
Look, the fans will keep showing up every year and they’ll keep watching because this is a franchise built on generations of fandom. But their anger is well-founded. Here’s how the Mets can begin to right the ship.
BELLINGER (OR BREGMAN) SIGN
Try your hand at a big free agent. Forget three-year terms for this one. Bellinger’s positional versatility would allow the Mets to draft prospect Carson Benge as a fourth outfielder if they want, or they could keep Jeff McNeil and use him as a fourth outfielder. The Mets know Bellinger is capable of playing in New York. Last year with the Yankees, he slashed .272/.334/.480 with 28 homers, 25 doubles, 98 RBIs and 89 runs scored in 152 games.
The Mets don’t appear to be interested in third baseman Alex Bregman. They seem happy with Brett Baty at third base, and Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio will still get reps there. Bregman would certainly give Juan Soto the right-handed protection in the lineup he desires and bring leadership to the clubhouse. If Bellinger goes elsewhere, the Mets should consider reworking their infield to accommodate Bregman.
ADD A FRONT-LINE STARTER
Stearns wants to make “need-for-need” trades and the biggest need he has is to start pitching. He can trade Kodai Senga or David Peterson, who still have plenty of upside, to bring in a solid starter to put at the top of the rotation with rookie right-hander Nolan McLean.
While there isn’t a “need-to-need” deal to start pitching, the Mets have a wealth of young infielders they can use to acquire pitching. Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña and Jett Williams could all be available.
If all else fails, trade Brandon Sproat for an established innings eater. Young starting pitchers are assets that can be used to acquire talent.
Talk to the people who matter
If Stearns hasn’t already spoken with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto about the offseason plan, then he needs to. As for the fans, they feel like Stearns thinks they are beneath him and don’t matter. They want to know why they should continue to show up at Citi Field, and they don’t need someone bashing them in the process.
Whether it’s Stearns or Cohen, or even Grimace, fans want to know the Mets have a plan, and they deserve to know it too. In all likelihood, they’ll keep showing up and watching, but it’s not like fans need a reason to stop. The games are becoming prohibitive for many families. For others, it’s competition from other forms of media. Treating fans like they are unimportant and unintelligent is not wise.
