5 biggest surprises of the Mets' offseason so far

We know the Steve Cohen-led New York Mets would be interesting and in a mostly positive way. This winter has provided us with plenty of surprises already.

The Mets are no longer an organization of complete chaos. Hey, every team has their follies. We actually have a general manager who will enter his second season with the team. Celebrate the small victories before throwing a parade for the bigger ones.

Surprises can be a good or bad thing. Since the end of the 2022 season and the start of the 2023 calendar year,

1) Jacob deGrom actually left the NY Mets

Is it a surprise? It seemed like Jacob deGrom was trending toward leaving the Mets throughout November. When he actually did come to an agreement with the Texas Rangers, it still lefty many a bit shocked.

A prediction is one thing. Reality is another.

The departure of deGrom is, for fans of a certain age, one of the biggest. deGrom left a positive legacy in New York. It ended a bit unceremoniously with a free agent choice to leave.

It’s not all on Jake. The Rangers gave him the best offer and he deserves to get every coin he can get. For all he gave the team, it’s hard to be upset with him. Most of us have left a job at one point for more money or what we felt was a better fit for our family.

The departure of deGrom from Queens sent some shockwaves across Mets Land. It’s hardly the most surprising event of all from this offseason. No, we’ve had a few others of both bigger and smaller scale.

2) The NY Mets were able to replace Jacob deGrom with Justin Verlander

It made a lot of sense for the Mets to replace Jacob deGrom with Justin Verlander. Who else could, over a short period of time, give them anything close to what deGrom can when healthy?

After what the Mets did last offseason bringing in Max Scherzer, the Verlander signing doesn’t have quite the same effect as it normally would. The Scherzer deal really did prove anything was possible for the Mets. We’ll probably feel the effects more when we actually see Verlander pitching for the team.

You weren’t surprised by that one either? Okay, let’s see if this next one left you stunned.

3) The NY Mets won the Kodai Senga sweepstakes

Kodai Senga was another one of those free agents many predicted could end up with the Mets. The keyword is “could.” After landing Verlander, it did feel like the Mets might lose out on everyone’s favorite middle-of-the-rotation option, Senga.

Rumors about where he would land were extensive. The Mets didn’t waste much time. They brought in Senga after already bringing in Jose Quintana. Suddenly, the deGrom-less rotation had been completely overhauled.

Billy Eppler has managed to replace deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker. More shocking, he’s paying each of their replacements less. The Mets are believed to be free-spenders when it’s not quite the case. Yes, they do spend a lot of money on the roster. What else would we expect from an owner who wants to win?

Still not surprised by any of these additions or subtractions? You’re a tough audience. I swear, our final two moments definitely caught you off-guard.