The Mets have three more options to win a ‘A’ this offseason.

Many people were undoubtedly astonished to learn that the Los Angeles Dodgers had signed Japanese great pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a rich 12-year, $325 million contract. The news broke late on Thursday night and early on Friday morning. particularly considering that the Dodgers have already agreed to a 10-year, $700 million contract with Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani. In an effort to land Yamamoto, the New York Mets and Steve Cohen flew to Japan to not only see him but also to treat him to dinner.

With so many deficiencies in their roster at starting pitching, in the outfield, and at designated hitter, the Mets are forced to go with plan “B” now that Yamamoto is the highly sought-after free agent star they so sorely desired. The Mets still have time to have a productive offseason even though they were unable to sign Yamamoto.

1. A long-term contract with Pete Alonso

For the Mets to take this action, it must be obvious. At the end of 2024, Alonso, who is in the last year of his time control, will have become a free agent for the first time in his career. Not that Yamamoto is no longer available as a free agent; Cohen has the funds to take this action. In actuality, if the Mets hope to reenter the race, this move is imperative.

For the 2024 campaign, Alonso is starting his sixth season and has already established a significant reputation for himself. In his six seasons as a big leaguer, The Polar Bear, as he is affectionately known, has hit 40 home runs or more three times. In 2019, he established a single-season Rookie record with 53 home runs. Alonso is the fourth-highest home run hitter in Mets history, trailing only Mike Piazza, David Wright, and Daryl Strawberry. Alonso’s departure in free agency or trade at the trade deadline this season are unaffordable for the Mets. Alonso is a generational talent, the fans love him and he wants to stay in Flushing Queens. If New York is able to sign him, this might appease Mets supporters this offseason.

2. Using free agency to sign starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery

Although Jordan Montgomery is not Yamamoto, the Mets may be forced to sign the lefty given the state of their pitching rotation. The current lineup for the Mets, if the season began today, would include Adrian Houser, who was acquired from the Brewers last week, Tylor Megill, Luis Severino, and Kodai Senga, in no particular order. It doesn’t seem possible to continue this cycle.

Senga’s incredible rookie season performance made it clear to everyone just how excellent he can be, and Houser proved to be a dependable option in 2023, pitching to a 4.12 ERA in 23 games. But there are concerns with Megill and Severino. Severino has shown himself to be an excellent pitcher, particularly in 2017 and 2018, when he went 14-6 and 19-8, respectively. However, Severino has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play. He missed the most of 2021 and the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery, and he posted an astounding 6.75 ERA in 2023. Severino suffered a low-grade lat injury in 2022, which led to his placement on the 60-day injured list.

Furthermore, Megill struggles with consistency; in 2021, his greatest ERA was only 4.52. Even though it’s not horrible, New York cannot depend on it. David Peterson is another lefty on the Mets, but there are concerns about his consistency as well because in the middle of May of the previous season, his ERA reached as high as 8.08. It is safe to conclude that the Mets’ beginning pitching is a major weakness, so acquiring a player like Montgomery would be extremely beneficial to the rotation.

3. Designated Hitter position added by J. D. Martinez

The Mets designated hitter position did not produce much offensively in 2023, it was safe to assume. J. D. Martinez also probably won’t return to Los Angeles for a second spell, as the Dodgers have added Ohtani to fill their DH place.

The main designated hitter for the Mets last season, Daniel Vogelbach, hit just.233 with 13 home runs and 48 runs batted in. Martinez’s addition would therefore be the most sensible. This past season, he demonstrated that age truly is nothing. He is thirty-six years old. He slugged his way to a.271 batting average in 2023, along with 33 home runs and 103 runs batted in. The Mets ought to have no trouble with this. Martinez is the kind of player they should recruit if they want to compete in the very competitive NL East, where three teams made the postseason last year.

The Mets’ lineup is in dire need of some additional offensive punch. They do have Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo, but Steve Cohen needs to close this trade quickly if a player like Martinez is available and has a track record of hitting more than 30 home runs per season. And this offseason can be considered successful if they succeed.