Even though they all make sense, it would be shocking if the Mets made any of these changes before the season started.
David Stearns took us all by surprise when he signed Shintaro Fujinami after adding Jake Diekman. Not only is the New York Mets bullpen more fuller today, but it’s also much better.
Unlike several previous Mets acquisitions, those additions did not leave us speechless. It wasn’t as devastating of a loss as Milwaukee Brewers fans are finding out about Corbin Burnes’ recent trade. Unlike many Atlanta Braves fans who undoubtedly felt the same way when the team signed Chris Sale earlier this summer, we aren’t left scratching our heads wondering if it was the appropriate decision.
Conversely, the Mets have pulled off a number of unexpected small-ball maneuvers. Before Opening Day, might Stearns pull off another one?
1) The Mets would sign a DH, shocking everyone.
The more loudly we cry out for it to happen, the more likely it is. This offseason, the Mets needed a designated hitter. What more recently happened? The National League officially adopted the DH in 2022, and ever then, the Mets have been chasing their own tail in an attempt to perfect the position. For the past two seasons, it has been the ball club’s weak area. With the idea that Starling Marte, DJ Stewart, and Mark Vientos would share the lineup slot, they have been waiting and watching impassively. Will enough people lower their asking prices before Opening Day?
If the price of a viable DH target dropped to the point that the Mets could sign him, that would be surprising. In order to meet the deadline, they require the money. They are not going to sign a DH for a long-term deal, which is wise. It doesn’t appear like we’re getting a new face unless someone is prepared to go temporarily and for less money.
But what if, after all, someone’s options run out, and the Mets call with the best contract around? Spring training is rapidly approaching. What city will the players call home for 81 days out of the year? We cannot freely move these chess pieces around. Because humans are intricate creatures, Stearns has been ready to hold off on signing anybody as long as there are still enough convoluted bits of meat and bone.
2) Drew Smith would be traded by the Mets, shocking everyone.
The Mets have a loaded bullpen. With the whole roster, their options are quite limited. Luckily, Fujinami has choices. But until they make a subtraction, the Mets will struggle to manage their bullpen outside of him.
The reliever that would be most advantageous to swap with is Drew Smith. It has been claimed that the Mets had already begun to trade him before the non-tender deadline earlier in the winter. One option to make room on the roster for one of the newcomers and pave the way for the Mets to occasionally employ a six-man rotation is to bring this notion back.
Trade rumors involving the Mets Smith calmed down as soon as they offered him a contract. However, depending on your team, the idea of the Brewers dealing Burnes was either a nightmare or a fantasy.
There isn’t currently a pressing need to trade Smith. Even in the final days of spring training or the first few weeks of the regular season, deals can be made between teams. Though uncommon, it does occur. And if both parties are still happy with the relocation, would it really come as a surprise if Stearns already had a plan with someone else?
Smith would need to be acquired for a minor league player, or at the very least, a player the Mets could option to the minor leagues. It would be somewhat useless to do otherwise. It would be good to have someone a little more in control.
Whether Smith gets dealt before Opening Day will depend on the health of other relievers and how others perform in camp. He doesn’t need to be subtracted right now. We require as many arms as possible.
3) By acquiring a second starting pitcher, the Mets would surprise us.
The Mets getting another starting pitcher would be the least likely surprise of all. Not just any pitcher in the starting pen. It’s easy to look back on past decisions, like the signing of Dylan Bundy, a well-known veteran who was never included on the MLB roster. How about a more significant addition?
The Mets are guaranteed a starting five, and in the event of an injury, we would anticipate numerous backup players to gain starts. Is this baseball team’s starting rotation among the best? To believe so, you’d have to go deeply into the statistics and embellish the story.
The Mets trading away Jose Quintana could be the only way for this to occur. Upgrading him would be a bold move by the Mets, considering he was considered a trade piece well before this season began. Dylan Cease remains active in society. Could Jordan Montgomery drop his asking price sufficiently? And what about Blake Snell—dare we say it?
The only way the Mets appear to be able to add another starter, despite their ongoing spending in free agency, is if they could arrange a deal for a pitcher who has unexpectedly become available. There are lots of youthful, reasonably priced arms for the Seattle Mariners. The issue is that as the cost of pitching has soared, the Mets have shown little inclination to remove a big element from their development system.
It would thus be unexpected if the Mets took such a step. Even if they want to cling onto the best prospects, the perfect agreement has the power to change everything.
For what it’s worth, the Mets should target one obvious free agent. Brandon Woodruff, how much do you charge?