Fan Shot: An Ideal Offseason Plan for the Mets

This fan shot is written by Brian Dengler

Like many Met fans, I have been thinking nonstop about how I would construct the 2025 World Series-winning Mets. I did say I was biased, right? Back to my introduction. We’ve all wanted to play GM and put ourselves at the helm, so I figured why not put pen to paper on my version of what I think could play out this offseason? Some may agree, and many more will disagree, but that’s what makes the offseason fun.

Creating a Potent Lineup

Sign Juan Soto: A domino creating a 10-year win-now window. It is no secret that the Mets have had their eye on Juan Soto since he was mashing for the Nationals. Now the time has come, go all in on Soto. He is potentially the most exciting offensive player to hit the free agent market since….Bryce Harper? Looking ahead at future free agency classes, there are good but not generational talents available. Creating a lineup that starts with Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Mark Vientos will make the Mets a scary proposition for opposing pitchers for years to come. 

Let Pete Alonso Go (Maybe): Okay, maybe it’s not that simple. It all comes down to value. Pete Alonso has been a mainstay in the Mets lineup for the last six years. ROY, constant home runs, and homegrown… how could you let this guy go? It would not be so easy for the fans to see Pete in another team’s uniform. My grandma, 86 years young, has claimed she will not root for the Mets if they don’t re-sign Pete (this is the same woman who called the former Brooklyn Dodgers owner when there were rumors of trading Jackie Robinson). We know that isn’t true (hopefully), but I feel the sentiment could be true for Met fans, especially after this past playoff run. The true test for Stearns and the front office is how much they value a negative defensive first baseman who as of next year is on the wrong side of 30.

I would pencil Pete in for 30+ home runs over the next few years, but when does he turn into an everyday DH? My take is if you can sign Pete to a 5-140m deal, I would do it. Make him the highest-paid first baseman on an AAV basis, but don’t hurt your future in the process. Pete can break the Mets home run record, win a World Series in Queens, and have his number retired in Citi. If the price moves higher, I think the Mets need to consider other options, such as Christian Walker. You wouldn’t be tied down long-term, he has 30+ home runs a year potential and provides a perfect end gap to up-and-coming power prospects who slot in at first base. If the price for Walker becomes too steep, the Mets should consider moving Mark Vientos to 1B and replacing him with a better glove at third base.  

Trade Starling Marte: It is no secret that Starling Marte has been underwhelming defensively in the outfield. His -8 OAA in RF ranked second to last in all of MLB, and the kicker is that he only played 94 games in the 2024 regular season. With the prospects of signing Juan Soto, who is a negative-5 OAA on his own (how he is up for gold glove is crazy), you simply can’t construct an outfield with Soto and Marte regularly playing the corners. Better yet, it is not in David Stearn’s DNA to do so. The Mets should look to trade Marte for a decent reliever (hello, Mariners). They would need to eat a bit of cash to make it happen, but in the end, unloading him gives the team more flexibility going into next season. After the most recent trade to acquire Jose Siri, the Mets locked up their 2025 centerfield situation with two plus-range outfielders to hopefully cover for Mr. Juan Soto. I liked this move because Siri is cheap enough to have a reduced role if Drew Gilbert forces his way on the roster with a strong spring training or AAA start. 

Jose Iglesias?: This is hard. He was one of the sparks that turned around the Mets season. The team rallied around (a Latin pop star) a career .283 hitter. His defensive metrics don’t paint the picture that he is sure-handed in the infield, but he passes my eye test. I think if the price is right, you consider re-signing him for the purpose of clubhouse comradery and infield security blanket. My only hesitation is the Mets have Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, and Jett Williams biting at the opportunity to do what Vientos did in 2024. The final choice is that I would prefer to give a younger guy a chance. This will also serve as the chance for prospects to showcase their ability to play for the club. Only a year ago, the Mets signed J.D. Martinez to a one-year deal, pushing Vientos off the roster. I don’t think the Mets go down that road again. It would be best if you let young talent flourish and this open spot allows the chance for a hot spring training prospect to make the big-league team for opening day. 

DH?: DH has been a question mark for the Mets ever since the NL adopted the full-time hitting position. I don’t believe the Mets will want to commit to a long-term multiyear solution for a position not playing the field. Realistically, Mark Vientos should slot in here, but he has earned the right to play the field every day. I ideally would like to re-sign a Jesse Winker-type player who also gives outfield insurance for any injuries. He could hopefully share time with Ronny Mauricio here. Then again, it’s too early to pencil a guy in for a consistent role coming off a torn ACL. 

Upside Pitching Arms

Unpopular Opinion….Pay Blake Snell and not Corbin Burnes. I know what you are thinking: this guy has only pitched more than 140 innings twice in his nine-year career. My counter is that he has won two Cy Youngs and simply shoves when he’s on. The lack of innings doesn’t scare me, knowing baseball continues to move to a six-man rotation. You need to have a guy you want to give the ball to in the playoffs. Time and time again you see playoff teams focusing on their top three starting arms to carry them throughout the whole playoffs. Look at Marcus Stroman for the Yankees, he is middle market arm who is being paid $18.33 million to not throw a pitch in the playoffs. You need to bite the bullet on a top arm, and I think Snell gives the Mets the opportunity to use Steve Cohen’s financial flexibility to their benefit while not making a long-term investment in a Corbin Burnes-type player (look how well those long-term pitching contracts pay off of). Pay Snell for four years and $150 million with a player option if he reaches an inning count – bringing it to five years and $185 million.. You can overpay here knowing Senga’s cheap for the next few years. 

Sign one of Sean Manaea or Luis Severino: My preference would be Manaea, but it will be interesting to see how much its value has increased over the past few months. Middle of the season you may have thought 3 years for 60 million would get it done…. Not anymore. The Mets need to be smart in this situation, and I would choose either one, whichever presents the best value. If Severino takes a short-term deal, I would pass on Manaea’s long-term contract. We will see how his own attached QO plays out in the market. 

Sign a Project Starter: I thought about trading a few prospects for a solid pitcher on the trade market (like a Garrett Crochet), but I would rather let the farm continue to develop young talent and if needed (if the Mets are in playoff position) trade a few away at the deadline to fill potential holes. That being said, I think Stearns (as I would) goes shopping down the bounce-back candidate aisle. I think Walker Buehler type, but as I write this, Walker Buehler might have earned himself a few more dollars this offseason. Maybe Andrew Heaney or Alex Cobb? One-year deal here. 

Build a solid bullpen: You may be thinking, no s**t, Sherlock. Here is one of the reasons Steve Cohen brought in David Stearns. He has been masterful of identifying arm talent that can be used in high-leverage positions. We just saw the Dodgers showcase how important it is to have not only trustable arms but also a good number of them waiting to be used. I would shy away from expensive closer types (cough cough Tanner Scott) on the market. I would rather gather a collection of multiple trusted high-leverage arms than focus on one shutdown setup/closer (caveat relievers who can throw strikes dependably, please). 

How does this team turn out?

Lineup

1. SS – Francisco Lindor
2. RF – Juan Soto
3. 3B – Mark Vientos
4. LF – Nimmo 
5. 1B – Christian Walker 
6. 2B – Jeff McNeil
7. CF- Tyrone Taylor/Jose Siri
8. C – Francisco Alvarez
9. DH/ Utility – One of Mauricio or Acuna with Winker (I would lean playing the younger players if push comes to shove)

Starters 

1. Blake Snell
2. Kodai Senga
3. Sean Manaea or Luis Severino
4. David Peterson (he’s earned his spot)
5. Project Starter (Andrew Heaney/Alex Cobb/Walker Buehler)
6. Megill, Blackburn, Jose Butto, or Prospect (Sproat, Tidwell, Hamel)

Payroll Situation *Contract Predictions from MLB Trade Rumors*

Starting at around $160 million with currently 

Subtract 10m by trading Starling Marte (9.5 million on hook for 2024)

Juan Soto (13-600) 46.15m a year

Blake Snell (5-160) 32m a year 

Sean Manaea (3-60) 20m a year

Project starter 12.5m 

Jesse Winker (1-7.5m) 

20m for bullpen

= 288.15 million

The Steve Cohen tax hits at 301 million. Ideally, they stay below this figure but then again, it’s not my money! The Mets still have plenty of holes on this roster. They could probably use another starting pitcher, but I chose to play the long game. Preserve the prospects we have and allow ourselves to reset the tax for future years. 

That being said…. What do you think the Mets should do? What do you agree with or disagree with? 

* * * * * * *

This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Brian Mengler. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post Fan Shot: An Ideal Offseason Plan for the Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.