It’s clear what the NY Mets roster needs as badly as a power-hitting first baseman

The New York Mets starting lineup doesn’t pack the same kind of punch from the middle downward as it would if Pete Alonso was there. No resolution yet to his free agency and nobody added to the ball club to block him from a return, we await the stunning conclusion to the saga to fill what feels like the biggest need.

The Mets were actually a top offense last year that relied heavily on home runs. Sure, we have Juan Soto now. A full year of Mark Vientos should help. Jesse Winker adding to the offense is where things begin to stretch.

Other than a power hitting first baseman, the Mets roster has one other glaring need.

The Mets need a high-leverage right-handed reliever in the worst way

Before the ball gets to Edwin Diaz, who’s going to get the outs for us? The A.J. Minter signing was a good one and just because he throws left-handed doesn’t mean he’ll be mismatched against righties. There’s a reason why he has been one of the better relievers. He’s more than a LOOGY.

Jose Butto doesn’t quite count as he is a weapon of a whole different breed. We can almost consider him the alternative to a more traditional inning-by-inning approach to getting the ball to Diaz. Say the Mets are going for a sweep in a tight series. Let Butto handle those final two or three innings and earn a save rather than run Diaz into the ground.

Reed Garrett and Dedniel Nunez are two of the better righty relievers the team presently has. Eh. We’ve seen the former struggles at times way too often to entrust him in the role fully. Nunez didn’t have enough of a sample to truly know what he’s capable of. While promising, the offseason is the time to remove major doubts.

The bullpen has been the most ignored part of the Mets roster. They may have accidentally signed a gem if Clay Holmes doesn’t work out as a starter. Who knows what Griffin Canning can offer in relief versus as a starter? That’s if he ends up in the bullpen in the first place.

The market of right-handed relievers remains robust. According to Andy Martino, it’s on the list of priorities. However, signing a player such as Kenley Jansen could have an impact on bringing Alonso back versus what would be a cheaper deal if they re-signed someone of Ryne Stanek’s ilk.

Whoever it is the Mets add, it’s abundantly clear what they currently have isn’t a playoff-caliber bullpen. A slight concern about how ready Minter will be at the start of the season could have them open to lefties as well. Both possibilities should exist. The team could easily upgrade the roster spots currently belonging to Danny Young and Sean Reid-Foley.