The best NY Mets solution is the simplest

The New York Mets offseason has been a major success so far. Signing Juan Soto to a record-breaking deal while helping out the pitching by bringing in Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes have all been great. However, there's still work to be done and there are options out there that would improve the roster even more. One of those options brings back two players to Queens and is the simplest of them all.

OPTION:

Sign Pete Alonso to a five-year, $114M contract

Sign Sean Manaea to a four-year, $98M contract

Bringing back both Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea not only is a good decision but the one that makes the most sense for all parties involved. With Alonso, the Mets have stated numerous times in the past that they want to bring the "Polar Bear" back. However, it appears that Alonso and his agent Scott Boras are willing to play the waiting game. It should be mentioned that per. Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Alonso and his former representatives declined a seven-year $158 million extension back in June of 2023. Fast forward to now, and while Alonso has interested teams, it's unlikely he'll get what he may be looking for and the longer he waits, the fewer suitors he'll have.

With that in mind, the Mets brass can get Alonso back in a Mets uniform long-term for less than what they originally offered. They could offer him the same AAV they had for him in the '23 offer at $22.6 million but could have it over fewer years. It would end up being a steal of a deal especially with him coming off a slightly down year when it came to production. If they can get this deal done, the Mets bring back an important piece to the locker room and fill an obvious position of need at first.

As for Manaea, the Mets know they have to give him close to what he wants. After all, Manaea proved to be the Mets' most reliable starter last year. He's coming off a 12-6 record along with a 3.47 ERA. They need him back in the rotation to help support guys like Montas and Holmes at the top.

On Tuesday, ESPN baseball reporter David Schonfield predicted that both sides would agree to a four-year deal at $96 million. While that's $10 million more than the option suggested, that's still a good deal for both the Mets and Manaea. Bringing back the guy who was essentially the ace of the staff should be a primary focus at this point for general manager David Stearns.

The Mets have done a lot of good up until this point in the offseason. However, there still needs to be more added, and bringing back two familiar faces who were invaluable to the team in their run to the NLCS is simple and the right thing to do.

The Mets did sign Griffin Canning on Wednesday night, perhaps putting a damper on a chance to reunite with Manaea. It still shouldn't be out of the question completely. Stearns must see the need to add a bigger arm.