The Mets and Yankees are both guilty of the same offseason misdemeanor

This MLB offseason has provided every team with a rare opportunity to fix a problem they hoped to avoid. Some have taken advantage while clubs like the New York Mets and New York Yankees have shrugged their shoulders instead.

Last year, the Mets saw Edwin Diaz go down with an injury in mid-March. Spring training was already nearly over with and replacing him on the roster with anyone close to his ability was practically impossible. Free agents had all signed. Trade discussions were all but over with.

Not so much in 2024. Dylan Cease just got dealt to the San Diego Padres as a roster replacement for reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell who’ll move up the cast to join the San Francisco Giants. Cease and Snell had long been discussed as an option for the Yankees, in particular with the devastating injury news for their ace, Gerrit Cole. They failed to pounce on those two options just as the Mets haven’t attacked the needs glaring them in the face.

The Mets and Yankees have each decided to avoid a late offseason pivot to improve their rosters

Both New York clubs misfired in this regard. Declaring who did it worse is a matter of opinion.

On one hand, the Mets have stuck with the plan they had all along. If Kodai Senga’s injury was season-ending, perhaps they would have pivoted to a player like Jordan Montgomery to replace him. Instead, the immediate indication was always that they’d let the depth battle it out.

Far worse for the Mets is how they’ve seen Mark Vientos continue to struggle this spring and not done anything to improve the DH situation. Ever since the DH entered the National League full time, the position has been a headache. Making no outside improvements at all this offseason is a big blunder on their part made worse by J.D. Martinez’s continued free agent status. We can only excuse this because the Mets aren’t all in to win in 2024.

Meanwhile, the Yankees are in a much more dire position to get the job done. They traded for one year of Juan Soto. They’ve poured lots of money into free agent additions on top of what they already had. This is a year where if the Yankees fall short of a championship, it’s a failure.

The Yankees have a good rotation. In the absence of Cole, however, they look much weaker. Some good number two starters sprinkled in among the starting five, calling upon the depth they already had rather than bringing in a mercenary is a weak move. Montgomery, who might just be looking for a one-year deal at this point to replace an injured pitcher, isn’t Cole and yet his playoff success last year with the Texas Rangers should have the Yankees considering him much more than they seem to be.

Both clubs have let the fans down by sitting back. The aggressive nature of the concrete jungle called New York will always have fans irrationally wanting their favorite team to do things.

In this instance, what’s so irrational about seizing an opportunity?

The Yankees may still treat their fans to some sort of transaction. The Mets, meanwhile, with nothing more than whispers of signing Martinez likely sourced through his agent, will be sending us to bed without dessert.