NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 surprising moves the team could make before Opening Day

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David Stearns surprised us all by following up the addition of Jake Diekman with the signing of Shintaro Fujinami. The New York Mets bullpen is now not only a lot more crowded but also vastly improved.

Those additions didn’t leave our jaws on the floor like some other Mets moves in the past have. It wasn’t a heartbreaking loss like the recent trade of Corbin Burnes is for Milwaukee Brewers fans. We aren’t left scratching our heads wondering if it was the right addition like many Atlanta Braves loyalists were probably feeling when the team added Chris Sale earlier this offseason.

The Mets have made several surprising moves themselves on a smaller scale. Could Stearns pull off another before Opening Day?

1) The Mets would surprise us by signing a DH

The louder we scream it, the more likely it might happen. The Mets had a need for a DH this offseason. What else is new? Since the DH was adopted by the National League full-time in 2022, the Mets have chased their own tail trying to get it right. It has been a weak point of the ball club for two seasons. They’ve passively watched and waited with a plan to have some combination of Mark Vientos, DJ Stewart, and Starling Marte handle the spot in the lineup. Will anyone’s asking price come down enough before Opening Day?

It would be a surprise for the Mets to see a suitable DH target’s price drop enough to the point where they do sign him. They need the dollars and cents to match the timeline. Wisely, they aren’t about to sign a DH for an extensive contract. Unless someone is willing to go short term and at a smaller cost, it doesn’t seem like we’re getting a new face.

But hey, what if someone does see their options dry up and the Mets come calling with the sweetest available deal? Spring training is coming up fast. Players want to know what city they’ll call home for 81 days a year. These aren’t chess pieces we can move around freely. Human beings are complicated and Stearns has been willing to wait to thus far on all of those complex pieces of bone and meat to sign anyone.

2) The Mets would surprise us by trading Drew Smith

The Mets bullpen is quite crowded. They have very little flexibility with the entire roster. Fortunately, Fujinami has options. But aside from him, the Mets will have a tough time managing their bullpen unless they make a subtraction.

Drew Smith is the reliever who could make the most sense to trade. The Mets were reportedly already shopping him prior to the non-tender deadline earlier in the offseason. Revisiting this idea is one way to clear out a roster spot for one of the newcomers and open a pathway for the Mets to more regularly use a six-man rotation every so often.

Rumors of the Mets trading Smith died down once they did tender him a contract. Then again, thoughts of the Brewers trading Burnes were nothing but fantasy or nightmare depending on who you root for.

The urgency to trade Smith isn’t presently there. Deals between teams can even happen in the last days of spring training or early part of the regular season. It’s rare but it happens. And would it be much of a shock if Stearns already has a plan with someone else if the two sides still like the move?

Any trade involving Smith would have to be for a minor leaguer or at least someone the Mets can option to the farm. Otherwise, it’s a bit pointless to do. Someone a little more controllable would be nice.

The health of other relievers and what others show in camp will determine if Smith actually is traded before Opening Day. There’s no need to subtract him now. We need all of the arms we can get.

3) The Mets would surprise us by adding another starting pitcher

The least conceivable surprise of all would involve the Mets adding another starting pitcher. Not just any starting pitcher. Revisiting something such as last year’s addition of Dylan Bundy, a known veteran who didn’t make the MLB roster at any point, can easily happen. What about a more major addition?

The Mets have a starting five locked in plus several depth pieces we’d expect to get starts in case of an injury. Is the starting rotation one of the best in baseball? You’d need to dive deep into stats and spin the narrative to think so.

Perhaps the only way this could happen is if the Mets were to trade away Jose Quintana. Thought of as a trade chip long before this season even got started, upgrading him would be a power move by the Mets. Dylan Cease is still out there. Could Jordan Montgomery’s asking price come down enough? What about, dare we say, Blake Snell?

Although the Mets have continued to spend in free agency, a trade scenario for a pitcher who has suddenly become available seems to be the one way they could add another starter. The Seattle Mariners have plenty of young and affordable arms. The problem is the price on pitching has skyrocketed and the Mets haven’t indicated any interest in subtracting a significant piece from their farm system.

That’s why it would be a surprise for the Mets to make such a move. As much as they’re keen to keep the top prospects, the right deal can change everything.

For what it's worth, there is one obvious free agent for the Mets to pursue. Brandon Woodruff, what's your price?

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