Top 10 free agent targets for the Mets when the lockout ends

The New York Mets have had an A+ offseason so far. They signed Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar all in one night. The offense seems to be transformed from one of the league's worst to one that is at least capable of being one of the better offenses in baseball. And oh yeah, they signed Max Scherzer too to help form one of, if not the best one-two punches at the top of a rotation ever.

When the lockout finally ends, the Mets still have some holes to fill on their roster. Their lineup is good, but there're some free agents that would make it great. Since they lost two starters in Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard and only signed Scherzer, the Mets could use another arm.

While the Mets roster looks good on paper, there is still work to be done.

When the lockout ends, here're some players I expect the Mets to target.

10. Yusei Kikuchi

This one comes with a little bit of risk. Yusei Kikuchi has been in the Major Leagues for three seasons thus far. He's gone 15-24 with a 4.97 ERA in 70 career starts. Simply put, he has not been what the Mariners hoped for when they signed him to a three year $43 million dollar deal.

However, I believe Kikuchi has some promise. This season he had a really solid first half which saw him go 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 16 starts. Unfortunately, the second half was not kind to Kikuchi as his ERA shot up to 5.98 in 13 starts.

I believe Kikuchi has good stuff and has shown in spurts that he can be good. It's just about putting it together for an extended time. His 9.3 K/9 shows that he's able to put hitters away, it's about limiting walks (3.6 BB/9) and the home run ball (1.5 HR/9).

Since Kikuchi hasn't proven anything at the big league level I expect him to get a cheap prove it deal and the Mets should be all over that.

9. Zack Greinke

He might not be the Cy Young Award winner from his days in Kansas City, he might not be the consistent all-star he was in Los Angeles, but Zack Greinke is still a guy the Mets can rely upon to take the mound every fifth day and give them a chance to win.

The Mets have the makings of a really good rotation but everyone has question marks. Can Jacob deGrom stay healthy? Is Max Scherzer going to make 32 starts as a 37 year old? Will you get first or second half Taijuan Walker? What will you get from a full season of Carlos Carrasco?

You know what you will get from Zack Greinke at this stage in his career. He's a guy who will take the mound every fifth day and allow three or four runs in five or six innings. If the offense is as improved as it should be, that's good enough.

He went 11-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 29 starts for the Astros this past season.

The Mets injury situation in the rotation was so bad they had to use guys like Jared Eickhoff and Robert Stock to start games for a team that was in first place. Greinke has made at least 26 starts in every full season played since 2008.

The Mets don't need five Cy Young candidates in their rotation. A veteran like Greinke with loads of postseason experience who can serve as a mentor to guys like Tylor Megill and David Peterson on a one-year cheap deal makes all the sense in the world in my opinion.

8. Jonathan Villar

The Mets could really benefit from bringing back a familiar face. In a year which saw the Mets decimated with injuries, Villar was a guy they could rely upon to play every day. He played in 142 games, the third most on the Mets this past season. Villar filled in at second base, third base, and even some shortstop.

The Mets would be bringing Villar back in the same role they intended him to play. He'd be a utility guy who can give infielders a day off and be a nice bat or even speed option off the bench if need be.

Villar slashed .249/.322/.416 with 18 home runs and 42 RBI. When the Mets desperately needed a guy to step up, Villar did just that. 18 home runs were more than anyone could've possibly expected and Villar even stepped up to play a pretty reliable third base.

As currently constructed, Jeff McNeil would play second base, Francisco Lindor would be the shortstop, and Eduardo Escobar would man third base. Villar could take starts from all three if need be or if there're injuries.

You can never have enough depth and Villar has proven he can step up and play a bigger role if need be. I expect some bad team to potentially sign Villar to a contract providing him an opportunity to play every day but if that doesn't happen, the Mets should be all over re-signing him.

7. Nelson Cruz

Normally, I'm against signing someone who's limited to only being a DH. I think if a player like Pete Alonso needed a breather I wouldn't wanna take him out of the lineup, I'd just DH him. However, if someone like Nelson Cruz is on the table the Mets would be foolish to not go after him.

The ageless wonder is 41 years old right now and still producing at an incredibly high level. In 140 games last season Cruz slashed .265/.334/.497 with 32 home runs and 86 RBI. That slash line is a small step backward from his last couple of seasons but Cruz was still very, very good at the dish.

Right now, the Mets DH would probably be Robinson Cano. I have absolutely no reason to believe that a 39 year old Cano who just missed a full season after being busted with PED's for the second time will all of a sudden flip a switch and be the hitter the Mets thought they were acquiring.

Nelson Cruz is a guy who I can count on hitting 30+ home runs no matter where he plays. The Mets could use another big-time right-handed bat to hit in the middle of the lineup and I think Nelson Cruz fits very well on a one-year deal. The only reason to not want it is because he can't really play the field but since there will most likely be a full-time DH, I'd go after him.

6. Andrew Chafin

Believe it or not, one of the Mets best players last season was Aaron Loup. It seemed like every time he came into a game he got the job done. Loup was coming off of a career year in Tampa Bay before the Mets signed him to a one-year $3 million dollar deal. Loup proceeded to have one of the best seasons by a reliever in Mets history.

The Mets have an opportunity to sign another lefty reliever who is coming off of a career year to a cheap deal. Will it be as cheap as Loup's? No. But he won't break the bank. The Mets depserately need a left handed reliever as they don't really have one as constructed. In a division with Freddie Freeman, Juan Soto, and Bryce Harper, a dominant lefty to turn to in a big spot is a requirement.

For the last couple of years the Mets have done a very good job with that. Guys like Jerry Blevins, Justin Wilson, and Loup got the job done. I believe Chafin could be next in line.

This past season Chafin went 2-4 with a 1.83 ERA splitting time between the Cubs and Athletics. He held left handed hitters to a .170/.250/.223 slash line in 2021 allowing just one home run and one triple in 94 at bats. In his career, he's held lefties to a .593 OPS and has allowed just seven home runs in 577 at bats.

For a team in need of a lefty Chafin is as good as it gets in the reliever market.

5. Carlos Rodon

With the Mets open rotation spot Carlos Rodon is a very enticing option. He'd be a risk, but one that I believe is worthwhile.

Rodon is coming off of the best season of his career which saw him go 13-5 with a 2.27 ERA in 24 starts. He posted a whopping 12.6 K/9 while walking just 2.4/9 and allowing 0.9 HR/9. He made his first all-star team and finished fifth in the American League Cy Young race.

After that kind of year you'd think the White Sox would want him back, but they declined to offer Rodon the Qualifying Offer worth $18.4 million dollars for one year. That brings up a lot of concern and teams didn't seem to eager to sign the southpaw before the lockout.

Rodon has a length injury history and had multiple cases of arm soreness and fatigue this season causing his velocity to dip significantly in some starts. He missed most of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery and missed most of the shortened 2020 season with shoulder fatigue.

With all of that being said, the upside is there and it's clear. When healthy, Carlos Rodon has shown he can be a really good pitcher. If the Mets can get him on a one-year deal to serve as the fifth starter that'd be great. Depth is key and for a Mets team that seemingly always gets hurt to have Rodon for at least part of the season giving them quality innings would be very beneficial.

3. Clayton Kershaw

This feels unrealistic. However, I said the same thing about Max Scherzer coming to New York and somehow that happened too. It might be unlikely, but I won't rule it out until he signs elsewhere.

Clayton Kershaw coming to the Mets would be very exciting. He's older now and not the Cy Young Award pitcher he once was, but he's still more than serviceable. In his 22 starts this past season, Kershaw went 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA. He threw 121.2 innings in those starts.

Kershaw also posted a 10.7 K/9 while walking just 1.6/9 and allowing just 1.1 HR/9. The bottom line is Kershaw still can be an effective pitcher. He just has to stay on the field which has not been easy.

Kershaw has not made more than 30 starts in a season since 2015. He's had a bunch of different injuries which have taken starts away from him.

The Mets can limit Kershaw's workload to keep him fresh with guys like Tylor Megill and David Peterson taking starts from him at times. The Mets could use as much quality depth as possible and Kershaw when healthy is still a quality pitcher who can give the Mets good outings when he takes the mound and serve as a mentor to guys like Megill and Peterson when he's not pitching.

2. Kyle Schwarber

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. The Mets have never been able to get Kyle Schwarber out so the best way to get something positive out of him would be to sign him!

Of course that's not the only reason the Mets should be looking at Kyle Schwarber. The Mets lineup is improved, but seems incomplete. As mentioned before, I don't trust Robinson Cano at all. I don't think he should be the full-time DH. They do have guys like J.D. Davis and Dom Smith on the roster as well but both are coming off down years and I expect one if not both of them to be traded.

Adding a bat like Schwarber to this lineup would be massive. He slashed .266/.374/.554 with 32 home runs and 71 RBI in just 113 games this season split between the Red Sox and Nationals. We already knew about the power but Schwarber showed an ability to draw a ton of walks in his limited playing time this season.

Schwarber can fit right in that middle of the lineup and provide a big left handed bat after the likely departure of Michael Conforto. Schwarber can play left if need be and even played a little bit of first base in Boston although I wouldn't recommend the Mets put him there.

The Mets just could really use another bat and Schwarber is probably the best pure hitter left who won't cost $300 million dollars. If they have their eyes on the big prize adding a bat like this would go a long way.

1. Kris Bryant

You knew he'd be here. Kris Bryant has been in Mets rumors for what feels like years now and now is the best opportunity the Mets have had to finally get him. They wouldn't have to give up prospects, they wouldn't even have to give up a compensation pick. All they'd have to give up is money, and Steve Cohen doesn't seem to mind doing that.

Kris Bryant would provide a big boost to a lineup that is improved, but could use more. Bryant is a third baseman and so is the guy the Mets signed, Eduardo Escobar. However, Bryant can play pretty much anywhere.

Bryant played most of his games at third base, appearing at the hot corner 55 times. He played 48 games in left field, 39 games in right field, 19 games in center field, and 12 games at first base. He even played two innings at shortstop.

For a Mets team that seems to always get bitten by the injury bug, Bryant's versatility would be very helpful. When fully healthy, Bryant would likely see most of his action at third base and in corner outfield spots. Guys like Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha can DH or get games off when Bryant plays their respective positions.

Having too many good bats is a good problem to have. It means the Mets won't have to trade for guys like Cameron Maybin to hit third in regular season games anymore.

The 30 year old slashed .265/.353/.481 splitting time between the Cubs and Giants with 25 home runs and 73 RBI. He was an all-star and had an overall really solid season.

It might not look like the perfect fit on paper, but Bryant is still a big time player who will not cost $300 million dollars. It's not likely the Mets shell out another big contract, but I hope they do. Bryant makes the Mets just that much better.