Dodgers free agent signing turns up the heat on Mets to spend big

After a dream season for the New York Mets ended in heartbreak at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers the goal this offseason for general manager David Stearns was clear; spend big and make the necessary upgrades to get the Mets to the World Series in 2025.

With the Dodgers taking home the World Series crown, it is already evident that the National League path to the World Series will pass through Los Angeles. With news breaking that the Dodgers have once again waded into the deep end of the free agent pool, signing ace starting pitcher Blake Snell to a five-year $182 million contract, alarm bells should be ringing in Queens for Mets' brass to spend big.

The NY Mets need to spend big on Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and an ace of their own

The Dodgers adding Snell gives them an embarrassment of riches in their starting rotation. New York's rotation, even with an ace being brought in, won't be able to go toe-to-toe with the Dodgers' impressive and deep collection of starters.

Instead, the Mets might be best served by beefing up their lineup to neutralize their chief rival's biggest strength. That means signing Juan Soto, even if that means eclipsing the $700 million threshold and bringing back Pete Alonso to boot.

If the Mets manage to nab both Soto and Alonso to augment a lineup that already features superstar Francisco Lindor and burgeoning young slugger Mark Vientos to form one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball.

Many have looked at re-signing Alonso as the backup plan to Soto, but in reality, an approach of one or the other will likely lead the Mets to fall short. As fantastic as Soto is, his 180 wRC+ from last season suggests he was 80% better than league average with the bat, bringing him in alone is not enough when considering the loss of Alonso's power production.

Alonso could be due for an even bigger season in 2025. His 2024 ISO of .219 was a decent amount lower than his career mark of .266. Entering his age-30 season, there's still plenty of reason to believe he has enough life in his bat to bring that power production up a level from good in 2024, to the elite marks he's posted over the rest of his career.

The Dodgers shut out the Mets twice in the NLCS, and that was before they upgraded to add another ace in Snell. New York needs to go all out to bolster its lineup to have a fighting shot.

And while they're at it, they can't forget about adding to the starting rotation. As currently constructed wtih Kodai Senga coming off an injury-plagued year and David Peterson sitting in the number two starter role, the Mets do not have a playoff-caliber rotation on paper.

Upgrades at the back end are nice, and necessary, but more is needed. Fortunately for the Mets, even with Snell off the board, there are two free-agent aces left. Corbin Burnes is probably the jewel of the pitching market, and that's even including Snell.

Burnes ability to log innings, he's averaged 196.2 innings pitched per season over the last three years, combined with his ability to miss bats and generate soft contact make him the ideal rotation leader.

Max Fried is no slouch, however, as the former Atlanta Brave has a 3.07 career ERA. Fried's exceptional ability to locate his pitches, generate soft contact, and avoid walks and home runs make him an ideal candidate to maintain a high level of performance over the lengthy contract required to gain his services.

Make no mistake, half-measures will inevitably lead to frustrations in Queens. The Mets must spend big and they must land the biggest fish of the offseason. Anything less than Soto, Alonso, and a true ace will not only be a disappointment, it will doom their hopes of bringing home a World Series title.