Mets power rankings: 5 most important free agent fits

The New York Mets have been one of the most active teams in Major League Baseball this winter in terms of signing high-level talent and making a statement to the rest of the league of their intentions to compete for a World Series next season. From the signing of Justin Verlander to Kodai Senga to the re-signing of Brandon Nimmo, General Manager Billy Eppler has shown he is open for business in building a contender.

Whether or not the Mets make the Earth-shaking moves that they made over the last week or so remains to be seen, but there are still some areas for the Mets to upgrade on the current roster, as a few holes remain unresolved. Owner Steve Cohen has made it abundantly clear that he is going to blow through the MLB-imposed "Cohen Tax Threshold" this winter which allows the Mets to not so much focus on cost but on fit for their ballclub going into 2023.

As a disclaimer, I, like many Mets fans, am strongly clamoring for the Mets front office to sign Carlos Correa for a wide variety of reasons that I won't go into detail on in this article. But outside of the obvious with Correa, I wanted to take a look at five other players who would make sense for the Mets in order of importance starting at number one, who currently are on the free agent market.

1) NY Mets Power Ranking: Free agent relief pitcher Adam Ottavino

Prior to the Mets signing reliever David Robertson, one of their publicly known free agent targets was re-signing free agent reliever Adam Ottavino. The 37-year-old Ottavino was one of the key members of the Mets bullpen last season and would make a solid addition as a bridge to Closer Edwin Diaz along with Robertson.

Last season Ottavino had posted a solid 2.06 ERA and 0.975 WHIP in 66 appearances out of the Mets bullpen. Outside of the Mets, there hasn't been much public interest in Ottavino as of yet from other ballclubs, but that can certainly change at the drop of a dime as there has been a significant run on pitching over the last 10 days on the free agent market.

With Seth Lugo not expected to be back next season, as many organizations are valuing him as a starting pitcher, it's crucial for the Mets to get another dependable late-inning option. It appears that Ottavino is looking for a multi-year deal and hopefully General Manager Billy Eppler will be able to lock him up with a two-year deal. We all have seen how important a bullpen can be in the postseason, and it would be a crucial blow for the Mets to lose both Ottavino and Lugo this offseason.

2) NY Mets Power Ranking: Free agent designated hitter J.D. Martinez

It's no secret that the Mets are in desperate need of another bat in the lineup, especially out of the designated hitter spot. It was mentioned earlier this offseason that the Mets were going to handle the DH position internally and if you firmly believe that statement I've got some oceanfront property in Idaho to sell you.

All jokes aside, if the Mets are looking for a dependable bat on the free agent market that is a bit less expensive than what Carlos Correa is going to command, J.D. Martinez would not be a bad fit at all for this win-now club. Last season the Mets were one of the teams who had shown interest in Martinez before the Trade Deadline but no deal ever materialized between them and the Boston Red Sox.

While Martinez had a down year by his standards with the Red Sox last season as he hit 274/.341/.448 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI, the Red Sox struggled largely as a whole. Martinez's power numbers were down, but he had still proven to be a consistent hitter in the middle of their lineup, which is something the Mets lacked last season out of the DH position.

MLB Trade Rumors have predicted the 35-year-old Martinez to land a two-year $30 million deal, which would fit exactly with the types of contracts Billy Eppler has been handing out over the past two offseason. Martinez does not also have a qualifying offer attached to him, which would make him an attractive option in the sense the Mets won't lose draft compensation if they were to move forward with a deal.

While the Mets have not been publicly connected to Martinez yet, he would be a great option for another potential impact bat to slide into the DH spot. The front office is currently staring at another platoon combination of Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf out of the DH and if there is a way to upgrade that position the Mets should be exploring every option.

3) NY Mets Power Ranking: Free agent designated hitter Michael Brantley

Another potential option for the Mets to explore as an option for their designated hitter would be former Houston Astro Michael Brantley. While Brantley would be a buy-low candidate following his injury-shortened season in 2022 due to a right shoulder injury, Brantley was raking as he has been accustomed to with a .288/.370/.416 slash line with five home runs and 14 doubles in 64 games.

The 35-year-old Brantley has had a batting average over .300 since the 2017 season and was on pace for a sixth straight season of batting over .300 before his season got cut short. Brantley would not only provide a consistent bat for the Mets, but Brantley is also capable of playing in the outfield at a corner spot which provides Manager Buck Showalter with some lineup flexibility.

Interestingly enough Brantley had a .343 batting average in high-leverage situations last season, as well as a .295 average against left-handed pitching which I believe would fit two needs in the Mets lineup. There are certainly going to be a plethora of teams interested in signing Brantley, including his former ballclub the Houston Astros, especially if his health checks out.

MLB Trade Rumors predict Brantley will sign a one-year $15 million deal this offseason. He would make too much sense for a Mets ballclub looking for consistency in their starting lineup. Again, if the Mets are not in on the Correa sweepstakes, they should turn their attention to both J.D. Martinez and Michael Brantley as potential upgrades.

4) NY Mets Power Ranking: Free agent relief pitcher Alex Reyes

Former St. Louis Cardinals closer Alex Reyes was surprisingly non-tendered a contract this winter after having another injury-riddled campaign in 2022, but the upside that Reyes's right arm possesses is tantalizing. Reyes is still only 28 years old and would be an interesting low-risk high-upside signing for a Mets bullpen undergoing a complete overhaul.

While Reyes is coming off of a torn labrum injury that cost him the 2022 season, he is only one season removed from logging 29 saves to go along with a 3.24 ERA and 95 strikeouts over 72.1 innings back in 2021. Reyes also possesses a fastball that clocks in around 97 MPH and a devastating slider. Both of those weapons led Reyes to strike out 30% of the hitters he had faced during his All-Star campaign in 2021 as well as batters hitting a lowly .176 batting average against him as well.

While I assume Reyes and his agent are most likely going to put on a pitching showcase for interested clubs this winter, he certainly will be looking at an incentive-laden deal from interested organizations due to his health concerns in the past. Reyes has a very low floor due to his injury history, but his ceiling is sky-high and the Mets could afford to take a gamble on a reliever like Reyes to compete for a late-inning role in their bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays are the only team that has shown public interest in signing Reyes to this point, but that will all change as many teams get a feel for his medicals as well as a potential showcase. Alex Reyes will be an interesting name to watch this winter and the Mets should be among the teams interested as they completely reconstruct their bullpen this winter.