To improve as the 2024 Mets, the Mets must make some roster additions this offseason, either through trades or free agents.

As they should have, the New York Mets and their supporters were full of hope for the 2023 season following a fantastic 2022 campaign. But after the team dreadfully underperformed in the previous campaign, the Mets must overhaul their roster this offseason by bringing in free agents or making trades in order to guarantee that the Mets of 2024 are superior to those of 2023.

The Mets fired out of a cannon in that 2022 season after playing below.500 ball for four of the previous five seasons. Since the Mets’ historic 1986 World Series victory season, they have won 101 games, the most by any team in that franchise in a single season.

Regretfully, in 2023, that enthusiasm was quickly tempered. Despite starting the 2023 season with a 14-7 record, the Mets struggled with injuries and ended up 42-48 at the All-Star break. The losses kept coming in. The Mets amassed so much that, in 2022, a year after winning 101 games, they made the decision to sell at the trade deadline, parting with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, who they had just signed as a free agent.

But that was in 2023. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting before anyone knows it, and Spring Training will suddenly start. But free agency comes first. With Steve Cohen as their new owner, the Mets haven’t held back when it comes to making bold free agent signings in an effort to strengthen their team. That most likely will also be the case on this occasion. What specifically should the Mets do to support their team in 2024 and beyond is the question.

Add more starting pitching

The first place the Mets could look to improve is with their pitching. Justin Verlander was excellent with the Mets during his brief pit stop there. He posted a 3.15 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and a 2.2 WAR during his 16 starts as a Metropolitan. Max Scherzer wasn’t as robust in New York, but he was still solid. His 4.01 ERA was high, but his 1.19 WHIP and 2.1 WAR across 19 starts was nothing to complain about.

The Mets’ other marquee pitching signing, who stayed with the team for the whole 2023 season, was fantastic as well. That would be Kodai Senga, who ended the 2023 season, his first in the big leagues, with a 2.98 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 4.5 WAR across 29 starts (16 of which were quality starts) and 166.1 innings pitched.

Those guys contributed solidly to the Mets’ pitching, but they didn’t contribute much else. With a 4.31 team ERA, the Mets were 19th in the Major League Baseball. In addition, they had the 18th-best opponents’ batting average allowed (0.248), the 21st-best WHIP (1.36), and the 16th-best strikeout total (1,398) in the league.

The Mets also did not receive a lot of individual contributions. Only one starting pitcher—Jose Quintana—had an ERA of less than four among those who pitched for the Mets in 2023 and finished the season on their roster.

Joey Lucchesi and Jose Butto did have a 2.89 ERA and a 3.64 ERA respectively, but did not meet that innings threshold. No starting pitcher who ended the season with the Mets had a WHIP below 1.2.

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