NY Mets: 3 offseason predictions from 3 different fans

2 of 3

Sep 5, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets right fielder Michael Conforto #30 celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports /

What’s going to happen this winter with the New York Mets? It’s the question husbands ponder as they turn over in bed and stare at the wall while the wife accuses him—in her own mind—of thinking about other women. You know the meme!

I’m not quite sure myself what to expect from the Mets. The front office is getting shaken up, the coaching staff is almost completely different, and we have a team looking to make up for their shortcomings in 2021.

To find some answers, I asked three members of the Rising Apple team to give me their offseason predictions. I wanted them to keep it simple. Tell me who the Mets sign in free agency, who they trade for, and who they trade away. They left out the more minor dealings, still focusing on deals that’ll grab headlines. Let’s see what your fellow Mets fans think will happen.

Michael Cahill makes his offseason Mets predictions

Let’s start with who Michael Cahill thinks the Mets sign in free agency and go from there.

Mets Sign:
Marcus Stroman
Noah Syndergaard (QO)
Aaron Loup
Javier Baez
Michael Conforto (QO)
Mark Canha

Cahill seems confident that the Mets roster won’t have too much turnover as far as their free agents are concerned. He’s hoping for reunions with five of their free agents including two via the qualifying offer. It’s a little too optimistic for my blood. I think Michael Conforto will reject the qualifying offer and end up somewhere else. I also believe the Mets will have to choose between Javier Baez or Marcus Stroman. My gut tells me Stroman gets a better deal elsewhere.

The big surprise name here is Mark Canha. The longtime Oakland Athletics first baseman/outfielder is a free agent this offseason and could fill in some gaps for the Mets next season. Sometimes powerful with an expected solid career .344 OBP (he’s in Oakland after all), I can see how he might end up with New York in a platoon situation or merely as a great bat off the bench.

Mets Trade For:
Matt Chapman

Cahill is predicting one big trade for the Mets and that’s the acquisition of another Athletics player, Matt Chapman. I’m a bit torn on him. On one hand, he’s a great defender with some good pop. On the other, he is coming off of a .210/.314/.403 season with 202 strikeouts.

Mets Trade Away:
J.D. Davis
Mark Vientos

Cahill wasn’t able to go into too much detail on the trades because, frankly, I don’t like anyone arguing over exactly what types of trades make sense. It’s a fool’s errand. Who is to say which Single-A add-in is good and which isn’t?

I can only surmise from what Cahill did present that he thinks a deal between the Mets and Athletics for Chapman could cost them J.D. Davis, Mark Vientos, and possibly more. The appearance of Vientos in the deal definitely seems to make sense because of how tricky it could be for the Mets to move forward with him and Brett Baty in the future. With Chapman under contract with the club through 2023, they can figure a few things out, possibly even allowing Baty to play some left field in the big leagues.

Cahill’s predictions favor the Mets in free agency and allow them to add to the roster with one big trade. What do the other Mets fans have to predict?

Sep 28, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) delivers against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of game two of a doubleheader at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Zack Laird makes his offseason Mets predictions

Second on our list of prediction-makers is Zack Laird. Fortunately, for experimental purposes, he had some different thoughts on what the Mets will do this winter.

Mets Sign:
Noah Syndergaard (QO)
Robbie Ray
Aaron Loup
Javier Baez

This is a very light free agent class for the Mets to bring in, particularly given what Mr. Cahill has predicted above. Three re-signings and an outsider (wasn’t that a Hugh Grant film in the early 1990s?) hardly gets fans thrilled as much as it fits what they actually need.

Laird took an approach with his predictions that the Mets are going to lose a couple of times this winter. I tend to agree. Naturally, teams miss on more players than they hit.

Fortunately, they do have two starting pitchers (including a lefty) plus the big bat of Baez back. Loup helps solidify the bullpen yet again—or so we can only hope.

Trade For:
Nick Anderson (or a replacement level player)
James Kaprielian

These sound more like neighbors of mine than actual professional baseball players. I actually had to look up if one was a buddy of his he’s trying to give a shout out to.

Nick Anderson is a reliever from the Tampa Bay Rays who logged only 6 innings for them this past year. Already 30 aka the death age for female actresses in the 1990s (I think one starred opposite of Hugh Grant in that movie I mentioned earlier), Anderson would be a logical trade candidate. However, surgery will prevent him from pitching for several months next year so I’m certain this is in the cards any longer.

I reached out to Mr. Laird for comment and a new name but due to a conflict in our schedules, we weren’t able to come to terms on a new name. Somewhere out there, another team has a Nick Anderson for the Mets to nab.

James Kaprielian is someone I remember from his New York Yankees prospect days. Traded to the Oakland Athletics in the Sonny Gray deal, this past year was his rookie campaign, at age 27. He was okay, going 8-5 with a 4.07 ERA in 1119.1 innings of work. I can see why the Athletics might move on from him already and why the Mets could have an interest. Could the Mets view him as this offseason’s Joey Lucchesi?

Trade Away:
J.D. Davis
Trevor May

This is where I have to shake my head. Trading J.D. Davis makes all of the sense in the world. Trevor May comes as a shock. He wasn’t brilliant in 2021 but I think he more than met their expectations. Perhaps Laird believes the front office isn’t a fan of his Twitch stream.

One thing I am a little surprised by from our first two guests is the lack of trade pieces exiting the Mets. Maybe it’s just me, but with so many changes at the top, I feel like the club is going to subtract far more from the organization than these two have predicted thus far.

Will our final visitor think along those same lines?

Sep 13, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets third baseman J.D. Davis (28) hits a single during the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /

Anthony Rivera makes his offseason Mets predictions

So far we haven’t seen the Mets make any huge splashes outside of the organization via free agency. I’m shocked to see Kris Bryant’s name void from the first two predictors. Will Rising Apple’s Anthony Rivera have different thoughts about the 2016 NL MVP?

Mets Sign:
Noah Syndergaard QO
Aaron Loup
Javier Baez
Chris Taylor
Anthony DeSclafani
Robbie Ray

This is quite the free agent class. Along with bringing back Thor on the qualifying offer, Rivera is predicting the team also signs Anthony DeSclafani and Robbie Ray—two of the biggest surprise pitchers of the 2021 season.

It raises one pretty important question for me: where do all of these starting pitchers fit in?

Already under contract, the Mets have Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, and Taijuan Walker. Does Rivera see one of the latter two ending up in a relief role? Or maybe one becomes a trade target of his?

I know a lot of Mets fans are beginning to lust for Chris Taylor but I’m not so sure I see the fit. Unless you part with Jeff McNeil, I have a tough time seeing where he plays regularly. Taylor could get more playing time (probably money, too) signing with another club.

Mets Trade For:
Mitch Haniger

Rivera is expecting a stacked Mets team in 2022. A trade with the Seattle Mariners for Mitch Haniger could help salvage the need for outfield power. He would replace Michael Conforto in right field.

The one downside to Haniger is he becomes a free agent after the 2022 season. He’s a one-year rental, and coming off such an amazing year, probably expensive. Fortunately, Rivera does have an eye for at least two players it could cost the Mets in order to acquire him.

Mets Trade Away:
J.D. Davis
Mark Vientos

Finally, we get to the trade pieces. J.D. Davis and Mark Vientos might be a good pair to head to Seattle for Haniger although I’m not so sure the former has much value at all in this kind of deal. Because Vientos is close to the big leagues, he’s certainly one of the franchise’s top trade targets this winter.

The Takeaway

Despite finishing 77-85, the same record they had in 2018 when they were trade deadline sellers and were out of contention by mid-June, there is optimism among Mets fans. We saw a mix of it from these three. All are convinced the Syndergaard saga goes on and Baez remains in Flushing. Each is also pretty certain Davis will be traded, as they should be.

Because it is way too early to have a good grasp whatsoever on what lies ahead for this franchise, getting any of these predictions right, particularly with non-2021 Mets, should count for something.

Next. Bare minimum for a perfect Mets offseason

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As for Bryant, I remain stunned that none of these three made a bold enough prediction to see him come to New York. They don’t think he’s Philly bound to reunite with childhood friend Bryce Harper, do they?

Home / New York Mets News

Michael Cahill makes his offseason Mets predictions

Zack Laird makes his offseason Mets predictions

Anthony Rivera makes his offseason Mets predictions

The Takeaway

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