NY Mets: Five biggest challenges facing the Mets this offseason

4) How do the Mets upgrade the catching position?

With the expected departures of catchers Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos, the Mets will be looking for a new starting catcher that provides an upgrade behind the plate both offensively and defensively. Luckily, one of the most highly-regarded catchers in baseball will be dipping his toes in free agency this winter and looking to break the bank with a record contract. Yes, that backstop goes by the name of J.T. Realmuto.

Whether the Mets cave into Realmuto’s demands in terms of money and length of a deal remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that Realmuto would immediately upgrade the backstop position. Realmuto would give them a superstar behind the plate that they haven’t had since Mike Piazza.

If the Mets don’t choose to engage in a potential bidding war for Realmuto’s services, James McCann would be a solid back-up option for the Mets to explore as he is highly regarded as one of the best catchers in baseball, with his bat also catching up to his defense over the past few seasons. McCann wouldn’t command the amount of money Realmuto would, and would still provide a significant upgrade behind the plate.

Other options this offseason include signing long-time nemesis Yadier Molina (yikes I can’t believe I just said that) or exploring a trade for a catcher such as Christian Vasquez or Salvador Perez. The entire offseason may depend on what stance they take at the catching position which makes this potential challenge all the more magnified this winter.