Mets: What is the team’s direction following the trade deadline?

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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 30: Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the New York Mets hits an sacrifice fly RBI in the sixth inning against Kelvin Herrera #40 of the Kansas City Royals during Game Three of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field on October 30, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

The Offseason and 2020

One player that it feels like many Mets fans have forgotten about is Yoenis Cespedes, who is expected to return to play at Spring Training in 2020.

After missing over a year and a half due to double heel surgery, and later ankle surgery, the former All-Star left fielder should be healthy to begin the 2020 season, although it is uncertain how productive he will be after missing so much time.

However, having his bat back in the lineup would be a welcome addition if he can regain some semblance of his old form, and having him back in left field would round out the outfield nicely, allowing the Mets to move Jeff McNeil back to third base where he is more comfortable.

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With Yo’s pending return and Pete Alonso‘s status as first baseman of the future, Dominic Smith should once again find himself displaced from the lineup, and given his performance in 2019, I feel this off-season is the best time for the Mets to trade him.

Teams such as the Tigers, Marlins, Royals, and Nationals are all expected to be in the market for a first baseman, so if we could trade Smith to address one of the Mets other needs, such as relief pitching or a more versatile bench player, it would behoove them to do so.

The Mets should also look to acquire more depth for the outfield, and preferably one who can provide some speed. While he is a great defender, given his performance at the plate this year, it is likely that they will part ways with Juan Lagares following the season.

As for free agent options to replace him as the fourth outfielder, Billy Hamilton, Jarrod Dyson and Cameron Maybin are a few of the names who could best suit the Mets needs. Switch-hitting utility player Ben Zobrist could also be an option to help provide depth at positions both in the outfield and infield.

In summary, locking down our starting pitching as the core of the team, and building around the young and talented players that we have built our lineup around this season, while acquiring new relievers and depth players could put the Mets in a good position to compete in 2020.

Hopefully the Amazins finish the 2019 season strong and give us something more to build on as we enter the off-season. From there, we can potentially enter 2020 with one of the top starting rotations in baseball and with an improved lineup, the Mets can give the rest of the NL East a run for their money.

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Now that the trade deadline has passed, what do you think the Mets’ strategy should be going forward?

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