The Athletic's MLB offseason poll gives 4 NY Mets players bulletin board material

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark shared the poll results about a couple of questions regarding the MLB offseason. Naturally, with the New York Mets making major transactions both in terms of subtracting and adding, they were all over the results.

Best subtraction of the winter? Marcus Semien got 5 votes with Nick Castellanos only at 6 to lead the way. Luis Robert Jr. had 3 votes. Devin Williams had a pair, too.

It didn’t end there with the Mets. When asked for the worst additions, Bo Bichette got 5 votes with Williams and Polanco getting two more each. It sounds like the ones polled really don’t like what the Mets did this offseason. Should we?

Why is everyone so down on the Mets offseason?

In addition to what the Mets did, what they gave up checked in. Pete Alonso was second to only Alex Bregman when asked about being most irreplaceable. That’s a bit of a loaded question. The only way to possibly replace Alonso would have been Kyle Schwarber because of the power.

It’s a strange place to be with the Mets making the kind of moves that would anger die-hard fans yet receive praise from sensible baseball people who’d understand what they are trying to accomplish. If you have skin in the game, or at least an Alonso jersey in your closet you weren’t ready to see go out of style, it’s rational to want to roast the Mets winter. When you’re trying to be more objective, it’s a bit puzzling.

Semien being the second-best subtraction in the game comes as the biggest surprise. Notably, Brandon Nimmo didn’t crack the list with his longer contract and questionable defensive skills moving forward. Bichette getting as much attention as one of the worst additions is eyebrow raising. How? Is it the contract structure? If so, we can have that discussion. Paying him what’ll guarantee him $47 million because of his 2027 opt-out is ridiculous yet not the kind of move you should frown upon.

The Mets are trying to turn the page on last year’s failures and it seems everything coming out of camp is mostly positive. Maybe it’s a good thing they’re getting some criticism, specific to players as well. It’s the kind of insult that can get the most out of certain personalities. Semien, Robert, and Williams are all considered bounceback candidates. Bichette is still in his prime. Would an 8-year deal worth over $200 million have felt better rather than the quick escape hatch? Bichette did have 11 voters who believed in the complete opposite, naming him the best. At least some voters are taking their medicine. 

It seems like the people polled all had some similar thoughts about what the Mets did. If they had it their way, the team would have stayed essentially the same with Nimmo, Alonso, and Edwin Diaz (no argument here) staying put. So what is it they thought an 83-win non-playoff team should have done instead?

Oddly, the Mets were recognized in this same poll as the "most improved" of any ball club. Explain this one.