10 best Mets free agent targets to pursue this offseason

The New York Mets are going to have a very active offseason after their disappointing exit in the Wild Card round at the hands of a Padres team who won 12 fewer games in the regular season.

Virtually the entire starting rotation outside of Max Scherzer is hitting free agency. Virtually the entire bullpen was scheduled to hit free agency before the Mets signed Edwin Diaz to a record-breaking five-year deal. Outside of Drew Smith and Diaz, the Mets bullpen is wide open.

Brandon Nimmo, the Mets leadoff hitter and elite center fielder is a free agent. They'll have to re-sign or replace him while also upgrading the offense. Billy Eppler has his work cut out for him to try and make this team a World Series contender in 2023.

10) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Andrew Chafin

Once Aaron Loup signed with the Angels, the need for the Mets to sign a left handed reliever was clear. In the offseason I assumed Billy Eppler would do this but he opted to trade for Joely Rodriguez and sign Chasen Shreve.

Shreve struggled mightily and was DFA'd in early July. Rodriguez also struggled but somehow managed to stay on the roster all year. Eppler never signed or traded for a left handed reliever.

Andrew Chafin was available for the Mets to sign in free agency. The Tigers ended up signing the southpaw on a relatively cheap two-year $13 million dollar deal. He was available at the deadline as well, but the Mets didn't pull the trigger.

The second year of that deal was a player option, and Chafin just declined it. Now that he's a free agent once again, the Mets should sign him.

Chafin posted a 2.83 ERA in 64 appearances for the Tigers this past season. He held lefties to a .233/.320/.344 slashline with just two home runs allowed in 105 plate appearances.

What makes Chafin so appealing is he was even better against righties. Right handed hitters had an OPS of .585 against Chafin in 2022, nearly 100 points lower than lefties. Chafin is not affected at all by the three batter rule.

Chafin has been good for each of the past two seasons. The Mets should have signed him last offseason but have a chance to ink the 32 year old to a deal this offseason.

9) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Nathan Eovaldi

With pretty much the entire rotation entering free agency, the Mets will need to make moves to ensure their rotation is in good shape again.

One veteran the Mets should keep their eye on is Nathan Eovaldi. The right hander dealt with injury in 2022 and has dealt with injuries for much of his career but when he's healthy, he's a very effective mid-rotation arm.

Eovaldi went 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA in his 20 starts this season for Boston. He struck out 8.5 batters per nine while walking just 1.6 per nine. The 1.7 home runs per nine is high, but overall, Eovaldi was solid when healthy.

In 2021 he made all 32 starts and had a career year. He posted a 3.75 ERA but his FIP was 2.79 suggesting he got extremely unlucky. He struck out 9.6 batters per nine while walking 1.7/9. He was an all-star finished fourth in the AL Cy Young balloting, and placed 15th in the AL MVP balloting.

Eovaldi has been an outstanding postseason performer in his career. He has a 3.14 ERA in 11 appearances. The ERA is much higher than it should be because of one outing where he allowed four runs while recording just two outs in relief. In the other ten appearances, Eovaldi has been outstanding.

His most memorable appearance came in relief in the 2018 World Series where he pitched six scoreless innings in relief before allowing a Max Muncy walk-off home run in the 18th inning. Eovaldi allowed just four earned runs in 22.1 innings across six appearances.

Eovaldi is 32 so this is probably his last chance at a nice contract. The Mets can afford it and he'd be a quality veteran to plug into their rotation.

8) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Tyler Anderson

Tyler Anderson was a potential target for the Mets to acquire during the 2021 trade deadline. His name appeared in some rumors that offseason as well.

Anderson ended up being traded to the Mariners at the 2021 deadline and signing with the Dodgers in free agency on a one-year prove-it deal. As many pitchers seem to do with the Dodgers, Anderson had a career year.

He went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 30 appearances (28 starts). Anderson allowed just 14 home runs in 178.2 innings pitched (0.7 HR/9) while walking 1.7 batters per nine.

Anderson only struck out 7.0 batters per nine but his game has never been reliant on strikeouts. Anderson thrives on limiting hard contact. He ranked in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity and in hard-hit rate. He was also in the 91st percentile with a 4.8 walk rate according to baseball savant.

Anderson allowed three earned runs or fewer in all but four of his starts. He went five or more innings in all but two of his starts.

Will Anderson be the all-star pitcher he was this season in the future? Maybe not. But he at the very least should be able to eat innings for the Mets and give them a chance to win every fifth day. The 32 year old should be able to cash in nicely after his career year and the Mets are a team that should be in the running for his services.

7) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Trea Turner

Trea Turner might not fill the biggest need ever, but he's too good of a player to not be on this list. The Mets reportedly feel the same way.

Turner is a middle infielder. The Mets have one of, if not the best middle infield tandems in baseball with Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil. While Lindor is locked in as the shortstop, the Mets can move McNeil around.

If the Mets were to sign Trea Turner, McNeil would move to right field with Marte slotting in at center field.

This isn't the best move for the Mets defensively as Turner isn't great at second base and Marte isn't a great option in center field, but what Turner would provide offensively and on the basepaths is too much to ignore.

Turner slashed .298/.343/.466 with 21 home runs and 100 RBI. He can hit for average, he can hit for power, and he has blazing speed. He stole 27 bases in 30 attempts this past season for the Dodgers.

Turner is durable as he played in all but two games this season and he is one of the most productive players in the game. Turner was ninth in the NL with 6.3 fWAR.

Turner would be the leadoff hitter for this Mets team and would create havoc on the bases in front of guys like Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.

The fit isn't perfect, but you just can't not talk to a dynamic player like this. Turner has reportedly expressed an interest in playing on the east coast so that could be something that turns in the Mets' favor.

6) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Chris Bassitt

Chris Bassitt was traded to the Mets last offseason and things couldn't have gone much better for his first 29 starts. Bassitt was consistently great for the Mets in a season where both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer missed significant time.

The reason I said his first 29 starts is because things went south very quickly in his final two starts of the season. Bassitt allowed four runs in 2.2 innings in the final game of the Braves series in September. That game gave the Braves the season series.

Bassitt then in his playoff start allowed three runs in four innings. He seemed to struggle with his command in each of those pressure-filled starts.

With that being said, Bassitt was a great Met and is a guy that the organization and fans should want back.

Bassitt went 15-9 with a 3.42 ERA in his 30 starts. He threw 181.2 innings which was the most on the team by far and his 30 starts led the team as well.

Bassitt completed six or more frames in all but seven of his starts and allowed three runs or fewer in all but eight of his starts.

Bassitt took the ball every fifth day and gave the Mets a chance to win most of the time. He had a $19 million dollar mutual option to ponder after the season but it's being reported that Bassitt is expected to reject it.

It'd be hard to find anyone who could fill Bassitt's shoes so the Mets should try to bring him back.

5) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Carlos Rodon

Carlos Rodon is a guy who was nothing more than a back-end starter in his first six seasons in the bigs. He was a lefty with good stuff but never stayed on the field and wasn't very productive with the White Sox.

In 2021 everything changed for Rodon. He still missed some time on the sidelines but he went 13-5 with a 2.37 ERA in 24 starts. He struck out an absurd 12.6 batters per nine and finished in the top five in the AL Cy Young balloting.

Rodon had some health concerns which impacted his market in free agency. This caused him to sign a two-year $44 million dollar deal with the second year being a player option. After Rodon backed up his 2021 with an even better 2022 campaign, he is expected to decline his option and pursue the massive deal he evidently should have gotten last season.

Rodon went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA in 31 starts for the Giants this season. His 12.0 K/9 led the league as did his 2.25 FIP. Rodon will probably finish in the top five in the Cy Young balloting once again.

Rodon cracking the 30-start mark is huge heading into free agency. If Jacob deGrom leaves, the 29-year-old Rodon wouldn't be a bad replacement. He's younger and seems to be only getting better. He will almost certainly have a much cheaper AAV as well which helps the Mets sign other playrs.

4) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Justin Verlander

After making just one start in the past two seasons, it was very reasonable to think that we had seen the last of the very elite Justin Verlander. I still expected him to be a solid starter, but I don't think even the most optimistic Astros fan could have expected what Verlander was in 2022.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner will likely win a third after going 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA in 28 starts. He led the league in wins, ERA, WHIP, and ERA+.

Verlander arguably had his best season including his MVP year. A 1.75 ERA is unfathomable, especially at age 39 coming off of Tommy John.

Verlander's age is the reason why he isn't higher on this list. If the Mets were to sign this right-hander it's very likely that he'd regress. I can't name many elite 40-year-old starters.

Verlander's track record is too good for the Mets to not strongly consider this signing. If Jacob deGrom leaves, Verlander would be a great co-ace to Max Scherzer.

He has loads of postseason experience and can help young Mets starters like David Peterson and Tylor Megill develop into better pitchers.

I think Verlander is the best starting pitcher the Mets can sign not named Jacob deGrom.

3) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge just had one of the best seasons in baseball history. He slashed .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI. The 62 home runs set an American League record. What Judge did was unprecedented and will likely not be done for a long time.

In addition to his MVP-caliber bat, Judge stole 16 bases in 19 attempts and played Gold Glove caliber defense in the outfield. Judge even spent time in center field for the Yankees and looked good out there.

With Brandon Nimmo entering free agency the Mets could use a center fielder. While Starling Marte has loads of experience in that position he's 34 years old and has never been great there.

Aaron Judge ideally wouldn't be in center field either. To preserve Judge's health, the Mets would put Marte in center field most likely and stick Judge in right.

Judge does fill the biggest need the Mets have which is power bats. Outside of Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor this Mets team lacked much power. Judge most likely won't hit 62 home runs again, but he's hit 52 in a season before also. There's no reason for me to not believe he wouldn't hit 40+ in a Mets uniform.

Judge isn't the best fit just because he isn't a center fielder but he'd obviously be an unbelievable signing.

2) NY Mets free agent targets to pursue: Jacob deGrom

The reason I have Jacob deGrom at number three instead of number one is because of the amount of pitchers the Mets can choose from to replace him if he left. Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodon are both great options in free agency. There's also someone like Shane Bieber or Shohei Ohtani that the Mets can pursue in a trade.

With that being said, the ideal situation is for the Mets and deGrom to find a way for this Mets legend to return to Flushing to finish out his career.

deGrom has struggled to stay on the field in each of his last two seasons. He was shut down after the all-star break in 2021 after posting a microscopic 1.08 ERA in 15 starts. He then was hurt again in Spring Training and did not return until August.

He made 12 starts for the Mets this season including one postseason start. deGrom didn't look quite as dominant as he had last season but he was still one of the better pitchers in the game, striking out 102 batters in 64.1 innings pitched (14.3 K/9) while walking just eight batters (1.1 BB/9).

I have no idea what kind of contract deGrom will get. He's likely going to demand an AAV greater than the $43.3 million Max Scherzer got. Steve Cohen has the money and should give that to him. The only thing is I wouldn't give him more than three or maybe four guaranteed years. He's 35 with an injury history. If teams are offering more than that, the Mets can find another elite option.