Mets Offseason Needs: Three lesser-talked about upgrades for the Amazins

Don’t overlook the lesser-talked about upgrades the New York Mets will need to explore this winter.

This offseason could turn out to be epic for the New York Mets. As with every winter, fans will cling to the hope that they can add some star talent to the roster. We know some of their obvious upgrades, such as catcher and starting pitching, but what about those lesser needs?

The Mets may be able to find the answer in their minor league system for some of these lesser-talked about upgrades. However, with so few top prospects near MLB ready, they would need some luck to make it happen.

When winter rolls around, a lot of focus will go toward the stars available in free agency and trades. Meanwhile, the team may go ahead and look to upgrade some smaller niche roles including these three.

Mets Need An Awesome Defensive Outfielder

Juan Lagares, Jake Marisnick, and Billy Hamilton all spent some time with the Mets in 2020. We can classify each as an awesome defensive outfielder. In the winter before 2021, the Mets may need to find a new man to fill this void.

Marisnick is the best of these three at the moment, but also headed toward free agency and possibly a platoon gig in the not-so-distant future. Although the Mets can go out and add a true center fielder (sorry, Brandon Nimmo!) I think it’s far more likely they go a similar route with the Marisnick addition.

This isn’t just to cover center field. It’s good to have a first-rate defender on your bench regardless of how your starters look.

Regardless of the lineup, the Mets put on the field in 2021, it looks as if left field will be lacking defense. The top candidates to play the position are J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil, and Dominic Smith. All have their limitations so it would be much wiser to ensure there’s a really good defender alongside them or to replace Nimmo in center field and allow the happiest man in baseball to shift over one spot.

It’s not an exciting move to make but it’s a necessary one on the offseason checklist.