Mets: Three signs things will be different in Flushing this year and beyond

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JUPITER, FL – MARCH 12: New Era caps and Wilson gloves of the New York Mets sit on the dugout steps during a spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium on March 12, 2019 in Jupiter, Florida. The Marlins defeated the Mets 8-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

A lot has changed with the New York Mets over the last 365 days. The Wilpons are no longer in charge. Steve Cohen is the one calling the shots and fans are actually optimistic about what’s ahead.

Things are finally looking up for a franchise often caught up as the laughing stock of the league!

How do we know things will be better? The team has taken some actions to show us so.

Mets did bid for the top free agents

Even though the Mets didn’t land any of the top free agents this winter, they get a nice A for effort. They were the second-place finishers for Trevor Bauer and George Springer. If not for Brad Hand’s interest in closing, the Mets would have probably ended up with him, too.

Unlike me in my senior year of high school, the Mets did their homework. There wasn’t a ballplayer in a jockstrap that they didn’t check on in some capacity.

For years, one of the biggest frustrations with the organization was their tendency to bargain shop. Jay Bruce, Todd Frazier, Jason Vargas, Rick Porcello, etc. were the best they could do. This offseason, the team made a real attempt at several of the best names available.

Along with this, the Mets have been involved in trade talks for just about every big name player. They even managed to execute a few deals, including one major blockbuster that shows us things will be different.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 13: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians looks on against the Minnesota Twins on September 13, 2020 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Mets made a blockbuster trade with a plan to extend a star

The Francisco Lindor trade will either go down as an absolute bust for the Mets or one of the best deals in franchise history. I tend to lean toward the latter. It’s not blind optimism. The back of Lindor’s baseball card is proof enough.

There is a lot about this trade to cover. In terms of showing us that they are working differently, we can cite two major points.

Trading for Lindor is an investment beyond 2021. I know the Mets say they made the deal even with the understanding that he may walk after the year. But I believe this isn’t true. The Mets front office fully intends to do what they can to make sure Lindor remains in Flushing.

The other part worth mentioning is about how this trade involved taking on the salary of not just a single player but two. Carlos Carrasco, while not a throwaway addition, came to the Big Apple because the Cleveland Indians didn’t want to pay him anymore. It’s not a move we would normally see the old Mets make. This is the new wave Mets. They have gone from “win-later” mode to Depeche Mode.

Extension talks with Lindor may take a few weeks and could even last into the regular season. Just having Lindor in New York for this coming year does increase the club’s chance to retain him.

It’s great news because the Mets could really use a young star like him.

SAN DIEGO, CA – SEPTEMBER 7: Joey Lucchesi #37 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Colorado Rockies at Petco Park September 7, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Mets showed they care about pitching depth

Who would have thought pitching depth was an important part of a team’s success? One of the quieter needs for the Mets this winter, they successfully added a whole lot of starting pitching depth to the franchise. From Joey Lucchesi to Sam McWilliams to Jordan Yamamoto, the Mets have done a wonderful job at giving themselves some high-upside options for the back of the rotation.

None of those additions will probably ever push Jacob deGrom off the pedestal of ace. However, with the pretense that these depth pieces are merely in New York to hold things together until Noah Syndergaard arrives, we should feel pretty good right now.

Pitching depth, or lack of it, has been constant with the Mets. In 2020, we saw the club ravaged by a limited number of places they could turn.

In spring, Brodie Van Wagenen boasted about the club having one of the deepest rotations in baseball. By the time the season actually started, they were down to deGrom and a bunch of guys ready to underperform. If not for David Peterson putting together a fine rookie season, things would have been even uglier.

In any given year, a starting pitcher is going to miss time. It might be a start or it could be two months. Having a few extra bullets lying around to load into the chamber is important. This year, I think the Mets will have the led pieces to get through almost anything.

Next. Best first-round picks in Mets history

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Home / New York Mets News

Mets did bid for the top free agents

Mets made a blockbuster trade with a plan to extend a star

Mets showed they care about pitching depth

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