3 ADDITIONAL signings from the pool of free agents that the Mets should strongly contemplate for added depth.

You can never have enough depth.

There isn’t much more that the New York Mets team needs, save perhaps shocking us with a DH. Things are difficult. There’s hardly much elbow room. The budget looks like it just got back from an all-you-can-eat buffet after Thanksgiving dinner.

The Mets still have the ability to bolster their depth. In this aspect, aggressive throughout the offseason, these final three additions would be remarkable.

1) Brandon Woodruff

From two perspectives, Brandon Woodruff has always made sense for the Mets. His acquaintance with David Stearns and the reverse as well. They have a hidden weapon late in the season, or at least one set for 2025, because he won’t throw for the majority of this year. With Steve Cohen’s limitless resources, the Mets could add Woodruff without worrying about it creating constraints elsewhere.

It was originally planned to sign Woodruff to a two-year contract, giving him a little income today and a large increase in 2025 on an option dependent on his health. Given how the AAV of agreements is affected, the Mets wouldn’t be doing themselves any favors by avoiding the luxury tax. If Woodruff had a relapse in his recuperation, at least that would shield them.

Throughout his career, Woodruff has been nothing short of exceptional. He has only gone unnoticed as one of the best pitchers despite having a 46-26 record and a 3.10 ERA over 680.1 innings in the majors because he shared a locker room with Corbin Burnes.

Over the past four seasons, Woodruff has quietly been outstanding with 81 starts. It is difficult to resist a 30–20 record, 2.76 ERA, with 10.8 strikeouts per 9 innings. Even if it takes until 2025 for him to make his Mets debut, we’d be happy to wait patiently until then.

2) Eric Lauer

The Mets can acquire a number of former Milwaukee Brewers if Brodie Van Wagenen is able to sign all of his former clients, right? Another starter who Stearns was successful with in Wisconsin is Eric Lauer. Not as much demand exists for the 28-year-old lefty as there would be for Woodruff. Only if Lauer inks a minor league contract will his current status with the Mets make sense, in his opinion.

Last year, Lauer was mistreated. Lauer had a 6.56 ERA in 46.2 innings, largely as a starter. He went 4-6. But the lefty proved in 2021 and 2022 that he was capable of far higher totals. In those two seasons, Lauer appeared in 49 games as a starter and 4 as a reliever. The final outcome was an ERA of 3.47 and a record of 18–12.

Lauer’s demise from last year was due to home runs. In his little sample, he forfeited sixteen. They have caused him some trouble at various points throughout his career. There was also a noticeable increase in walks and hits, which is undoubtedly the reason he had his poorest campaign to date.

Starting pitching depth is not an urgent necessity for the Mets. Nevertheless, they will require it at any time when they decide to give up on making progress.

There’s another bat, in case you were wondering, that could be interesting to watch.

3) Jesse Winker

Hi there, dear friend from long ago. Another Brewer from 2023 who the Mets could take into consideration is Jesse Winker. This is just a coincidental event. By the time Milwaukee called Stearns in, he had already tendered his resignation.

First things first: Winker is only useful to the Mets on a minor league contract. Being from Buffalo, he would be closer to his family in Syracuse, where he could play out the season there until he establishes himself as a major league player.

It’s incredible Winker has fallen so far behind that a minor league deal may actually happen. With just one home run in 197 at-bats last season, his.199/.320/.247 line suggests that not many teams will be willing to make room on their rosters for him.

Winker can play left field if necessary, but for now he is much more of a DH. He’s a left-handed swinger as well, making him one of the best rebounding options available in this offseason’s free agency. During a highly good last season with the Cincinnati Reds in 2021, he was named an All-Star. He’s a valuable option given the Mets’ uncertainties in the outfield and at designated hitter.

It would also be a hilarious turn of events if he ended up assisting the Mets in 2024 given his past with their supporters.