A "wait until next offseason" attack in free agency is a flawed plan for the Mets

New York Mets fans are torn on exactly how to feel about the possibility of a lighter offseason and even weaker year ahead. The word "punt" has crossed over to baseball. It's the adjective used by some to describe the team's plans for 2024.

While certainly less aggressive than the previous three winters, the Mets aren't throwing away their chances in 2024. The strategy has changed. And if they miss out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, one plan is to wait until next offseason to storm the beaches of free agency.

This isn't as perfect as it may seem. As superior as next winter's class may be, there are major flaws in completely ignoring a chance to make the team better now.

The Mets are pushing back contention further than 2025 if they aren't making an effort now

Teams usually need to make the playoffs the year before winning a World Series or at least have done so recently. The Texas Rangers were a rarity. They won it all in 2023 after a horrific 2022 campaign. However, the team aggressively tried to make themselves better in the previous offseason. Corey Seager and Marcus Semien were their two gigantic additions that took a year to pay off.

For the Mets, the bigger trouble is not doing enough to better themselves now. Having to build up from a roster made of rubble won’t work. The Rangers, after coming up well short of the finish line, went nuts in free agency more so by stacking the rotation. The process continued. They came out on top. Their trip there began a year early.

The entire Mets bullpen is going to need to be reevaluated next offseason with the exception of Edwin Diaz. Brooks Raley, Drew Smith, and everyone else is free agent eligible or unproven at this time. This is one area the Mets will have the most trouble turning around. Delaying this process will only make it tougher when they need to search yet again next winter for bullpen arms.

Uncertainty with Pete Alonso and his future with the Mets creates the biggest question of all. Will he even finish the 2024 season on the roster if they sell at the deadline? What are the chances if he is traded in another selloff that he'd come back?

Can't the Mets make light moves to help them now and get started on others to help them in the future? If they're waiting on next year's free agent class, they're in for a rude awakening. Extensions will happen. New teams will spend. Options will become more limited as the days go on.

Next offseason is shaping up to be a big one for the Mets regardless of the Yamamoto conclusion. This year is more of a reset while pursuing Yamamoto. What about those pieces to help now and next season? This could quickly become a never-ending process.