Without a doubt, the New York Mets are having a busy offseason. They made changes at the general manager and managerial positions following a disappointing season, and there will undoubtedly be roster changes.
The Mets’ prospects for the 2024 campaign are unclear because they play in a division with the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves, two of the best teams in Major League Baseball, and they obviously need to improve their roster. The course for future years has already been set by this offseason, and it will continue to do so.
This inspires hope but also apprehension. How would you handle a botched offseason? For the Mets and their supporters, it can work in some ways. The Mets’ top three concerns heading into the 2024 offseason are as follows.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is not available to the New York Mets.
Starting pitching is one of the Mets’ most obvious needs, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the best pitchers available.
Since Yamamoto was posted on Monday, if he hasn’t already, he will be reaching out to MLB teams shortly. With a 1.82 ERA and a 70-29 record for the Orix Buffaloes, the 25-year-old is among the best free agents available. He has also won the NPBL’s Eiji Sawamura Award three times, which is comparable to the MLB Cy Young Award. In addition, Yamamoto led the league in strikeouts, wins, and ERA in 2023, earning him the triple crown.
All signs point to the Mets making a serious push to acquire the star pitcher, and Kodai Senga is one player who can help with this. After an incredible rookie campaign, Senga told New York exactly what kind of teammate he wants in Yamamoto. The Mets are benefiting from all of these factors.
Yamamoto’s decision to skip the Mets is therefore greatly feared. Even though there are many elite pitchers available in free agency, such as Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, and Takashi Igarashi, Yamamoto has been ranked highest, is only 25 years old, and could be an ace for the Mets.
If the Mets miss out on Yamamoto, they will have to settle for pitchers who may not be as valuable to them in the future, which will leave a big hole at a position that will cost them in 2023. The Mets are obviously searching for an ace, and a 1-2 with Yamamoto and Senga would be a great starting lineup. In 2023, they traded for Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
If this doesn’t happen when the Mets look like a free agent favorite, it won’t be good.
Shohei Ohtani is the main attraction in free agency. A lot of teams are naturally interested in signing the all-around superstar, who is looking for a big contract. Among them appear to be the Mets, who will undoubtedly try to pay Ohtani a lot of money to try and make a move to New York.
Although Ohtani’s camp has limitations, teams like the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Rangers, and others should be interested. Is it really that bad if the Mets don’t win the Ohtani sweepstakes? There are a lot of teams competing.
It stings, for sure, for the talent and the potential to change a franchise. Ohtani is one of those players that hardly ever appears. It would be worse, though, if he signed with a rival team, like the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani is reportedly “intrigued” by the Braves. Although there isn’t much evidence to support this claim yet, the Mets would face problems in the future if Ohtani decides to sign with the Braves. At least the Mets won’t have to see him as frequently if he signs with a team outside of the NL East, such as the Dodgers, who are the clear favorite.
However, Atlanta will be the division, league, and World Series favorites for many years to come if Ohtani ends up there. A frightening lineup includes Ohtani, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna Jr., and others.
Ohtani can end up in a lot of places, including New York. The worst-case scenario is Atlanta
The Mets exchange Pete Alonso
Pete Alonso, the Mets’ homegrown superstar, is their biggest concern this offseason. It’s still unclear if the Mets will offer Alonso the big deal he wants as he enters his contract year. Although David Stearns has stated that Alonso will be in the starting lineup on Opening Day, Alonso could wear a different uniform in April of the following year.
The Chicago Cubs are one team that has a strong connection to Alonso; they attempted to trade for him during the MLB trade deadline, and after the season ended, they hired Craig Counsell as their new manager, further strengthening their bond with him. If the Mets are unable to close the deal, a ton of teams will be interested in the first baseman.
This is the biggest worry this offseason for three reasons if the Mets do end up trading Alonso.
First of all, it creates a significant offensive and first-base void for the Mets. Since entering the league in 2018, Alonso has led the Mets in home runs each season. He was New York’s top RBI leader in 2023 with 118 (Francisco Lindor came in second with 98), and he consistently ranks among the Mets’ best offensive players. Francisco Lindor cannot be the only star player on the team in order for the Mets to contend if he is traded. They will need to acquire another 100-RBI player to cover that void.
Second, it sets a major precedent for the Mets players. Alonso is one of the franchise players, a locker room guy and a center of the team. If the Mets trade him, it sends a message that the team might not be ready to compete soon.
Thirdly, it deters top free agents, trade pieces, and other players from choosing to play for the Mets. Alonso is a major factor in the Mets’ success in recent years, including their 2022 season with 101 wins, and will likely continue to be so in the years to come. The Mets are not as talented if they trade him right now. What makes a player want to play for a team that just traded one of its best players?
What does this mean, then? For Opening Day and many more to come, Alonso had better be wearing a Mets uniform. It won’t be good if not.