The Mets need 1 of this, 2 of those, and at least 3 of these to compete for a World Series

Like kids in candy stores, New York Mets fans are ready to ask for one of this, two of those, and at least three of those other things hidden behind the counter high up on a shelf. In order to compete for a World Series next season, the Mets will need more than chocolate covered pretzels, salt water taffy, and fudge. They’ll need the front office to get to work making improvements in three areas.

In order to have any shot at a championship, the Mets need to have at least one of this, two of those, and at minimum three of these other delectable treats.

The Mets need one major bat

The Mets offense was more cold than awful in 2023. Pete Alonso is the perfect representation of it. He had a monster season but was often streaky. The same goes for Francisco Lindor. The two were awesome and yet it's hard to ignore the lackluster batting averages and OBPs. The Mets depended on the pair to drive in runs with regularity even with some ugliness on their own stat sheets.

Depending on the Baby Mets to suddenly get real good won't cut it for the team next season. Those key roster spots, likely to belong to the catcher and third base at minimum, are works in progress. For any chance at success, the Mets need one big bat.

Fortunately, the position doesn't matter too much because of the glaring hole at DH. Something as simple as signing a weak defender who can rake might be enough to significantly improve the lineup. The Mets could certainly use more than one big bat. Choose correctly and the rest of the pieces could fall into place.

The Mets need at least three relief pitchers

Here’s where most of the work needs to get done. We don’t yet know about the fate of Adam Ottavino who has a player option. Brooks Raley, with an obvious team option to pick up, should be back unless the team decides they don’t want to win this year. We have Edwin Diaz returning from injury. Those are the closest guarantees among the relief pitchers.

We can’t expect the Mets to sign three top-level relief pitchers this winter and for it to work out perfectly. More realistic is the signing of two really good arms and a trade for a more controllable piece.

The Mets may also find some solutions to their vacant bullpen by turning to their starting pitching depth for some help. Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill, and David Peterson should all be options for the Mets to move into relief.

Later on in the year, the Mets could see what any of their young starting pitcher prospects can offer for a short run. It’s not unusual for starting pitchers to begin their careers in relief as rookies. This is a plausible scenario for the Mets to find solutions without having to spend more money or prospects.

Asking for them to find three outside relief pitchers is the bare minimum. The team may need to get lucky with a waiver claim or a Rule 5 Draft pick. It’s not easy building a bullpen with as many holes as they have.