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

3) Not swinging a big trade with the existing prospects arsenal

We’ve seen in recent years the detriment of hoarding top prospects – whether it’s waiting for the big trade package or seeing them shortfall in the big leagues upon their promotion. When the Mets drastically underperformed and shipped Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, the farm system was reenergized after meddling with a lackluster shortage of top-level talent.

Now, the Mets possess a handful of intriguing players poised for promotion, headlined by Jett Williams, Brandon Sproat, and Drew Gilbert. With that in mind, at what point does the front office prioritize building a complete roster by shipping away some young talent? Rumors have swirled around the possibility of trading for starting pitcher Luis Castillo or inquiring about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as a viable alternative to Pete Alonso. There are certainly intriguing names on the trading block (outside of Castillo and Guerrero), but is it better to stand pat and bank on the youth to fill the current roster holes that exist?

A balanced approach will soon require a tipping of the scales if the Mets intend to go all in for the 2025 campaign. David Stearns and Steve Cohen have, so far, avoided jumping too far ahead of themselves in compromising the team’s competitiveness and competency. But the disturbing reality looms: some of the decisions they had to settle with could end up stinging just as much.