NY Mets: Setting expectations for a pivotal offseason

The New York Mets will embark on one of their most critical offseasons in recent memory this winter. With a billionaire owner firmly settled in, there are glaring holes that need answers at a time when this franchise can’t afford to waste the remaining prime years of ace Jacob deGrom.

The first of many answers will begin at the top as the Owner Steve Cohen and Team President Sandy Alderson will embark on a search for a President of Baseball Operations almost immediately following the season as they look to reshape their front office which also includes a potential new General Manager after Zack Scott’s recent legal woes. There is also the lingering question on the status of Manager Luis Rojas heading into the 2022 season.

At this point, there is a very real chance that the Mets could enter Opening Day next season with both new voices in the front office as well as a new presence in the dugout. After all, no team in Major League history has spent as much time in first place during the regular season (103 days) and had finished with a losing record. That all coincides with possible major leadership changes this winter.

The Mets may face many upcoming changes this winter as they look to restructure their organization after this season’s disappointing results.

From a player’s standpoint, the Mets have numerous decisions to make on impending free agents such as Marcus Stroman, Javier Baez, Noah Syndergaard, and Michael Conforto, just to name a few. It’s also fair to wonder if Owner Steve Cohen will blow through the luxury tax threshold this offseason considering it won’t come cheap retaining all four players as well as building around those four players. Let’s not forget that both Stroman and Baez have played a large role on the Mets this season in their own capacity and it would be a tough pill to swallow to lose one or both of those players to another ballclub.

From a fan’s perspective, it should be imperative that the Mets come close to the luxury tax threshold or even surpass it considering who is running things at the top with their billionaire owner. It should also be a priority to re-sign both Baez and Stroman as they have proven themselves to be long-term solutions rather than many of the current issues they are facing.

Speaking of current issues, the Mets are likely going to have a tough decision on their hands with a few players on the active roster who have noticeably regressed in 2022. Some names who could be on the move via trade include Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil, and J.D. Davis. While the Mets look to restructure their current roster after this year’s brutal collapse each of these players may provide some value on the trade market in regards to acquiring a new piece to the team next season.

I think it is very important for the Mers to shake things up from their current core of players and that may include moving at least two of those listed players above this offseason. The Mets were miserable offensively in 2021 (to say the least) and it may be time to reload with some fresh blood as the Mets can’t afford to sell their fans on the same product offensively next year.

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When looking at overall expectations it’s fair to say the Mets should expect to rebuild their leadership from scratch this offseason as well as rebuild their offense. This is clearly a win-now ballclub with an owner with deep pockets who has a willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Buckle up folks this may be one of the wildest offseason rides we’ve been in for in quite some time.