As Billy Eppler and Buck Showalter came onboard ahead of the 2022 season, the Mets turned in one of the splashiest offseasons.
It began with the slam-dunk signing of Max Scherzer and continued with the additions of Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar and a trade for Chris Bassitt.
Now without a work stoppage or pandemic looming, each of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams have a little bit of normalcy returning and an excellent opportunity to court free agents will take place beginning on Dec. 4 in San Diego with the return of the Winter Meetings.
For the Mets, they head into the summit with the largest payroll in all of baseball but also some of the biggest vacancies, with among the most sparse rosters heading into the winter.
MORE:Mets free agency predictions: Where Jacob deGrom, Brandon Nimmo and others will be in 2023
When the season came to a close, Eppler addressed the Mets’ need to build a strong foundation for the future, but with the resources provided by owner Steve Cohen, there is also an emphasis on winning year over year. That means bringing in quality — and expensive — talent isn’t off the table.
Here is what to watch for from the Mets heading into MLB’s Winter Meetings:
KEY FREE AGENTS
Jacob deGrom
The risk factor surrounding Jacob deGrom may work in the Mets’ favor as they look to keep the face of their franchise in New York. While battling forearm and shoulder blade injuries across the last two seasons, deGrom made 26 starts and threw 156⅓ combined innings in 2021 and 2022. He still managed to strike out 44 percent of the batters he faced during that span.
However, deGrom could be seeking a deal that would rival the $43.3 million per year that was given to Scherzer last offseason. A longer term deal with that price tag has seemed to make some opposing teams uneasy and keep the Mets towards the top of the arms race for his services.
Brandon Nimmo
The longtime Mets center fielder has come into focus as the second-best outfield free agent behind Aaron Judge. That has sent Nimmo’s stock skyward, and he is expected to net a deal in excess of $100 million.
After Nimmo set career highs in games played (151), RBI (64) and runs (102), the Mets have made bringing him back a priority, but there appears to be several teams locked in on trying to fortify their outfield by acquiring him . The 30-year-old has mentioned his affinity for New York, but this is also his first opportunity to cash in during free agency.
Chris Bassitt
Bassitt turned down the $19 million mutual option in the name of a long-term deal, but he’s not expected to get much more than that across multiple years. He was arguably the Mets’ most dependable option in the rotation last season, leading them in starts and innings.
More:Why Buck Showalter deserved to become first Mets skipper to win NL Manager of the Year
As he enters the 2023 season at 34 years old, this is likely Bassitt’s last chance to garner a longer-term deal after turning in one of his best seasons of his career.
Taijuan Walker
In his two seasons in New York, Walker used a dynamic first half to garner his first All-Star selection in 2021. He appeared worthy of a similar distinction this season but ended up on the periphery of a nod in the National League. However, after fading in 2021, Walker was a bit stronger down the stretch last season and finished with a 12-5 record and ERA of 3.49.
At 30 years old, Walker is one of the younger quality starting pitchers on the market this offseason. He turned down a $6 million player option and seems destined to get a multiyear deal for more than double that in average value.
Adam Ottavino
The Mets moved quickly to lock up one of their biggest free agents when they committed $102 million over five years to closer Edwin Diaz. Ottavino, who pitched to a sterling ERA of 2.06 and WHIP of 0.98, was the second-best pitcher in the team’s bullpen last season.
Ottavino proved he was worth $4 million for one season, and now he could command even more money and years as he enters his age-37 season. The New York native has now proven that he can get the job done with both the Mets and Yankees.
THREE METS GOALS
Build the top of the rotation
The Mets’ starting rotation is less than half full as Scherzer enters the second year of his three-year deal while they brought back Carrasco on a $14 million club option for 2023.
Eppler has made it clear the importance that he places on starting pitching, and the Mets appear to be focusing on the top of their rotation whether or not they can retain deGrom. The team reportedly met with American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander last week and Carlos Rodon earlier this week.
More:Why the Mets made the right move in bringing Carlos Carrasco back for 2023
It appears the Mets also have some interest in Japanese ace Kodai Senga, who has a career 2.42 ERA along with three All-Star appearances and five championships in Nippon Professional Baseball.
Whether it is deGrom, Verlander or Rodon, the World Series matchup between the Astros and Phillies proved how important top-end rotation arms can be to making a run. It is likely that the Mets will throw some capital towards ensuring they have a dynamic 1-2 punch in 2023.
Find the power
One area where a largely-successful Mets offense struggled last season was in production from the designated hitter position.
Mets designated hitters posted a season-long OPS of .687, which was 18th in MLB. That uneven performance underlined a lack of power, with the Mets collecting 171 home runs as a team, which was 15th in the league.
At the trade deadline, Eppler brought on the left-handed hitting Daniel Vogelbach, who slashed .255/.393/.436 with six home runs, 25 RBI and 18 runs in 55 games. The Mets will have his services for another season after exercising their $1.5 million club option.
The Mets have internal options to provide some pop from the right side but most, including Francisco Alvarez, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio are inexperienced. Brett Baty is another offensive talent that could get more lefty swings.
After Joc Pederson accepted the Giants’ qualifying offer and Jose Abreu signed with the Astros, some of the top free agent hitters include Justin Turner, JD Martinez and Josh Bell.
Fortify the bullpen
Outside of Diaz and Drew Smith, the Mets bullpen is an almost completely empty cupboard heading into the remainder of the offseason.
There is a potential that the Mets could lose some of their best relievers in the open market, including Ottavino, Seth Lugo and Trevor May. The team’s only regular left-hander last season, Joely Rodriguez, already left to sign a one-year contract with the Red Sox. Two of the top southpaw options on the market are Trevor Rogers and Andrew Chafin.
Any further losses will magnify the importance in the development of David Peterson and Tylor Megill, who each spent the majority of their time as starters in 2022 until late in the season.
The Mets front office has already made some smaller moves to stock the bullpen, bringing on Jeff Brigham and Elieser Hernandez in a trade with the Marlins and claiming Stephen Ridings off waivers from the Yankees.
PLAYER WHO COULD BE TRADED
Mark Vientos
This is pure conjecture, but teams got their first glimpse of Vientos at the major league level last season. There was a clear learning curve as the 22-year-old was 6-for-36 with one home run, three RBI and three runs late in the season.
Vientos got the call after the team’s No. 2 prospect, Brett Baty, suffered a UCL tear in his right thumb. But the team appeared hesitant to use Vientos anywhere in the field other than third base, leaning on Tyler Naquin and Darin Ruf in the outfield when Starling Marte went down late with an injury.
Vientos has some pop in his bat – he hit 24 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A last season – but he would likely struggle to find playing time with Eduardo Escobar and perhaps Brett Baty getting reps at third base and Pete Alonso anchoring first base.