5 moves the NY Mets should make if they aren’t willing to go beyond 3 years

5) Trade for Byron Buxton

With great risk comes great reward. Byron Buxton is risky in the sense that he has a difficult time staying healthy. He did so last year more than he has in a while, hammering 35 home runs in 126 games. An intriguing player who could be swayed to waive his no trade clause, it would be the ultimate irony for him to end up as the Brandon Nimmo replacement in the outfield because of how many similarities each has.

Buxton might not be the best choice in center field with Tyrone Taylor. Depending on what they hope to do in left field, it might make more sense to have Buxton in left field on days when Taylor starts. Those games should be few enough where Buxton doesn’t feel like the Mets traded for him to change positions.

Signed for three more years with a salary a little over $15 million each with incentives going up as high as another $11 million per year, it’s a superb investment for the Mets to make even with the worry that he could miss time. The same could happen with Luis Robert Jr. who, frankly, doesn’t come close to matching what Buxton is able to do.

These five moves don’t add anyone to the Mets roster who’s under control for more than three years. It’s not perfect and they might want to consider some additional smaller moves, too. Another corner outfielder for a year would be nice. An additional reliever or two is necessary. It’s not the kind of team that waltzes to a championship. Neither were the Los Angeles Dodgers last season.