3 NY Mets offseason decisions that could haunt the team this season and beyond

We’re less than a month away before New York Mets pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie, reminding all of us that baseball season is just around the corner. Until the calendar flips to that coveted date, the lull of the offseason still lingers.

During this hiatus, the Mets have utilized a balanced approach to supplementing the current roster, making key additions while adding at the margins to increase depth and flexibility. The monumental signing of Juan Soto and reunions with Sean Manaea and Jesse Winker are telltale signs of a competing club. But to a yearning fanbase that still has a fantastical run in the postseason fresh in their minds, the current makeup feels as if the team had slightly regressed, settling for feasible alternatives and banking on high upside.

Steve Cohen and David Stearns have reinforced their intentions often: making a winner on the field while putting the franchise in a position to compete and have sustainable success for years to come. Whether that requires making immediate sacrifices or maintaining a long-term approach, the current assessment of this offseason was defined by several decisions. Many of which could rear their ugly head in the upcoming campaign…and possibly for years to come.

1) Missing out on the Tanner Scott sweepstakes

If one were to analyze what held the Amazins from its first World Series berth since 2015, an argument could be made about a thin bullpen thrown into the fire. Arms like Ryne Stanek, Edwin Diaz, and Reed Garrett helped manager Carlos Mendoza bridge the gaps when other relievers would have fallen through.

Now, read those names again…notice how those respective arms are all right-handers.

It’s been a number of years since the Mets have had a quality, dependable southpaw take the mound in the late innings. Recall the side-arming spectacle of Aaron Loup, who provided stability, length, and funkiness that left hitters off balance during the 2021 season. Imagine this wild hypothetical: that form of Aaron Loup facing off against the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, etc.

The offseason presented a golden opportunity for the Mets to address a dire bullpen need: a reputable left-hander in Tanner Scott. The Mets saw its fair share of the flame-throwing back-end arm during his tenure with the Miami Marlins. While not being a finalist in the sweepstakes is somewhat appalling, what stings is him joining the Mets’ biggest adversary and a team that already has plentiful talent from roster spots 1-26.

Settling for A.J. Minter isn’t by any means opting to go with the second-best option available. But an opportunity presented itself and the Mets appeared to not take a flyer on one of the biggest commodities in the free agent market. Whether it was a specific role that Scott did not find with the Mets, or if signing Scott would defyst Stearns's vision and philosophy of reliever volatility, it does feel like the kings of Queens are now more than one step behind they were before.