Mets offseason strategy for success is superior to the Padres plan

The San Diego Padres are making big moves this winter, but the New York Mets are approaching things from a better angle.

The upcoming season of New York Mets baseball will be unlike any other. The economic uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic has left the majority of owners and front office executives motivated to cut payroll and create maximum financial flexibility. As things stand, the majority of the franchises appear to be clear sellers.

In the midst of this trend, two teams have made a clear pivot as buyers: the New York Mets and the San Diego Padres.

However, each franchise has gone about its quest for contention in a drastically different manner. While both fan bases should be thrilled about their team’s stock headed into the new season, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Mets have taken the best path. Here’s why:

The Padres

San Diego set the 2020 trade deadline abuzz when they completed a blockbuster deal that sent ace Mike Clevinger to the west coast. This was the first sign that the Padres were serious about capitalizing on their window.

This became even more obvious when the team announced a pair of massive trades to further revamp their starting rotation. In just a matter of days, the team acquired former AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell from the Rays and NL Cy Young runner-up Yu Darvish from the Cubs. Despite the loss of Clevinger to season-ending surgery, San Diego now boasts a rotation including Snell, Darvish, Chris Paddack, and Dinelson Lamet. This could easily become the most feared unit in the league. The Padres also became the envy of the league.

San Diego has a clear window during the primes of Fernando Tatis and Manny Machado. They have also done an exceptional job of building around a dynamic young core. However, the majority of their recent additions have come through the trade market. This has led to a mass exodus of young prospects from the Padres’ farm system. In fact, a staggering two dozen-plus prospects have been shipped out of San Diego over the past calendar year.

The team is truly all-in on mortgaging the future for the sake of the present.

The Mets

Similar to the Padres, New York has clearly established themselves as buyers. However, unlike San Diego, the Mets have utilized a completely different strategy.

Their first and most critical step was the addition of new owner Steve Cohen. Turns out, acquiring the wealthiest owner in MLB can be quite the benefit. Who knew!? The hype surrounding the Cohen era has already led to the resigning of former All-Star Marcus Stroman and the acquisition of All-Star backstop James McCann and veteran reliever Trevor May. The team is also a serious contender for stars like Trevor Bauer and George Springer.

While New York has yet to match the splash moves of the Padres, they have also made their roster improvements without sacrificing from their farm system. Instead, they have elected to use their financial capital to build what they hope is a postseason contender.

Conclusion

Cohen and his team should be given credit for their shrewd moves so far this offseason. Unlike the cross-coast NL powerhouse, the Mets are managing to build an exciting roster while still maintaining their key future pieces.

Unlike the previous administration, which seemed much more content to part ways with young pieces in their pursuit to “win-now,” the current incarnation of the Mets has struck a much healthier balance between present aggressiveness and a future thoughtfulness.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

New York may still elect to take a page from the Padres’ playbook by pulling the trigger on a rumored trade for a star like Francisco Lindor. However, as long as the majority of their moves involve their checkbook rather than their farm system, the franchise should be primed for a long run of relevance in the 2020s and beyond.