The five free agents the Mets missed out on signing last year should be signed this winter.

In an attempt to forget about the unpleasant memories of the 2023 campaign, the New York Mets have a busy offseason ahead of them. The Mets entered the season with the intention of contending for a World Series, but by July, they had already lost.

Billy Eppler could have improved the team, even though it’s unlikely that he could have made a miraculous move to turn the Mets from a 75-win team to a World Series team.

New York chose to pass on a number of intriguing free agents who could have at least slightly improved their team. They can look at a few of those same free agents this offseason and bring them to Queens.

1) J.D. Martinez

The Mets contemplated signing J.D. Martinez during the 2022 trade deadline as well as the 2023 offseason, but decided against it both times. He was older, had recently experienced a difficult year due to back problems, and was only a DH, which were the reasons behind that.

With Martinez reverting to his former self with the Dodgers, the Mets paid a price for continuing to use Daniel Vogelbach as their starting designated hitter. With the Dodgers, it seems like everyone gets better, so this isn’t a huge surprise.

Martinez is an obvious candidate for the Mets to pursue given his recent success and the glaring DH hole they have, even with the clear concerns about regression and the unfortunate reality that he is strictly a DH.

Martinez was a Dodgers all-star who hit 33 home runs, drove in 103 runs, and had a 134 OPS+ in addition to his.893 OPS. Even though his stats aren’t quite as flashy, he would instantly improve a lineup that could have used it.

2) Andrew Chafin

For years, Andrew Chafin has been a prime target for the Mets, but he hasn’t yet donned the orange and blue. It seems like he’s been talked about by Mets fans in each of the previous three offseasons, and there’s a good chance the conversation will return to him this one.

He’s not nearly as sought-after as he was a few offseasons ago, which is what separates this one from the previous two. It’s easy to understand why. He pitched poorly.

In 63 appearances, split between the Diamondbacks and Brewers, Chafin had a 4.73 ERA. After Chafin’s struggles with the Diamondbacks reached a breaking point, he was traded to Milwaukee, an NL team contending for a postseason berth. After that, he had so much trouble in Milwaukee that they left him off of their postseason roster.

Seeing Chafin struggle isn’t all that shocking because relievers are notoriously volatile. Relievers typically have off years. Edwin Diaz had a terrifying one, too. In 2024, the Mets would be counting on a once-dependable left-hander to make a comeback.

These kinds of risks are necessary because the Mets bullpen is in such bad shape. They currently only have two relievers committed to the bullpen, so in order to have any chance, they will need to sign several players. Chafin would be a decent backup lefty.

3) Kevin Kiermaier

If the Mets hadn’t re-signed Brandon Nimmo in the offseason, Kevin Kiermaier most likely would have played for the Mets in 2023. This was primarily due to how weak the center field free agency class was, not because Kiermaier was a particularly desirable option.

Compared to the previous offseason, Kiermaier’s stock has significantly changed this one. After a terrible season in which he struggled offensively and played in just 63 games for Tampa Bay, he went into the offseason last year. With the Blue Jays last season, it was an entirely different story. He was in good health and in great shape.

Kiermaier slashed.265/.322/.419 with eight home runs and 36 RBI in 129 games played. In 15 attempts, he added six triples and 14 stolen bases. Being one of the best defensive outfielders in the game, he finished the year with his fourth career Gold Glove.

With Nimmo covering center field, a Kiermaier addition might not be as straightforward this time, but he could still be a useful fourth outfielder and perhaps even move Nimmo over to left field on occasions. It might also be possible to sign Kiermaier and platoon him with a right-handed outfielder who can hit hard.

4) Matt Moore

In the previous offseason, the Mets needed to add another reliever to their bullpen. At the time, it seemed fairly obvious, and as the season went on, it was repeatedly shown to be the case.

Matt Moore, who in the middle of February signed a one-year contract worth $7.55 million to join the Angels, was one reliever the Mets could have had very late in the offseason and for a relatively low cost. The former starting pitcher would have been a great addition to the Mets bullpen as a second lefty, having just finished an incredible season with the Rangers out of their pen.

Billy Eppler, the general manager, passed up a quality arm like Moore in favor of arms that are no longer with the team, preferring to have relievers with options. Moore continued to have a fantastic season, finishing with a 2.56 ERA across 50 games with the Marlins, Angels, and Guardians.

In addition to providing Carlos Mendoza with a dependable lefty to work with, Moore’s arrival gives the Mets the opportunity to record more than three outs. Last season, he recorded eight outs or more, including two appearances where he pitched a full inning.

Moore ought to be near the top of the Mets’ roster since they are in desperate need of bullpen arms.

5) Adam Duvall

The Mets were looking for a fourth outfielder who could platoon with DH Daniel Vogelbach if necessary during the previous offseason. One of the players they targeted before the veteran outfielder settled into a regular role in Boston was Adam Duvall. When healthy, Duvall had an outstanding season in Beantown, but the Mets ultimately decided to go with Pham, and they saw success.

The 35-year-old hit 21 home runs this season in just 92 games and 320 at-bats. In his career, he has hit up to 38 home runs in a season, and that was only two years ago. He strikes out a lot and is a very inconsistent hitter, but when he gets hot, he can hit a ton of home runs in succession.

In addition to adding power, a Duvall signing would provide the Mets some extra versatility. For a player with his level of skill, it is uncommon that he can play center field in addition to the other three outfield positions.

The Mets can use Duvall in a few different capacities. He can take up most of the DH at-bats in addition to serving as the team’s primary left fielder in a pinch. Given the weak free agency class, it might be more cost-effective to sign Duvall to a short-term contract rather than a longer-term one with players who have the potential to sign huge contracts, such as Teoscar Hernandez or Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

 

 

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