BY Mike Rifkin and Mark Halpern
On Monday, the Mets introduced David Stearns as the new President of Baseball Operations. One thing Stearns discussed was that while he has Steve Cohen’s resources, he will only sometimes utilize it on the most prominent names every offseason. Here are some names that the Mets should target
Shohei Ohtani is the head of the free agent class. The likely AL MVP just had surgery on his elbow, and his agent said Ohtani will not pitch in 2024 but plans to return to the mound in 2025. So we will leave Ohtani off the list because anyone can sign him, and look smart.
STARTING PITCHING
FREE AGENTS
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Let’s start with the fact that he is 25 years old, and with the Mets saying they’re looking at 2025 as a real competitive team, Yamamoto could be a big part of that. Yamamoto had a 1.21 ERA this season in Japan and struck out 165 batters in 164 innings. The Mets will have some stiff competition from other teams for his services.
- Lucas Giolito – Giolito had an up-and-down year for the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians this year. Giolito has had an ERA near 5 for the last two years, so he might be someone the Mets could buy low on.
- Aaron Nola – A few positives about Nola. He’s pitched in big games, and he’s pitched in a big market. Nola went 17-6 with a 2.37 ERA in 2018. He has never replicated that season, but he is durable and has made 32 starts each of the last three seasons. One thing to watch is Nola is already 30 years old, so how much term he’d get is to be determined.
TRADES
- CORBIN BURNES: This makes a lot of sense for both sides. Burnes played for Stearns in Milwaukee, and with one year left on his contract, the Brewers are likely to move their ace. Burnes has won a CY Young and ERA title, so he’d fit right in at the top of the rotation.
- LOGAN GILBERT/GEORGE KIRBY – The Seattle Mariners have one of the better rotations in all of Baseball, but they need more offensive punch. If the Mets can make a deal sending one of the younger players and a Starling Marte, there’s a possible match.
- Dylan Cease – Cease was on the block at the deadline, but the White Sox didn’t move him. I wonder if they still have him on the market at the Winter Meetings to get something done. Everything depends on the White Sox and the direction they are trending toward.
- Alek Manoah – After a disappointing season, Manoah was sent to Triple-A in August but never reported. If that was a last straw for the Blue Jays Front Office, the Mets could get a top three guy in CY Young voting in 2022 for a lower cost than expected.
RELIEVERS
- Josh Hader – Let’s start with a pipe dream idea. Imagine a backend of the bullpen with Hader and Edwin Diaz that’d be very imposing. Hader pitched for David Stearns in Milwaukee and was one of the best closers in Baseball. Hader had 33 saves and a 1.28 ERA this season in San Diego.
- David Robertson – Robertson was brought in before this season to be the setup man for Diaz. After Diaz’s injury, Robertson was asked to be the Mets closer and was solid before being traded to the Marlins, where Robertson struggled. But a return to Queens would be best for him and the organization.
- Matt Moore/Andrew Chafin – Outside of Brooks Raley, the Mets don’t have another lefty in their bullpen. Unless they view David Peterson as someone they want to put in the pen, they need another lefty in the pen is a need. Moore had a 2.66 ERA for the Angels before being put on waivers. Chafin had a 5.82 ERA in Milwaukee this season but has a 3.40 ERA in his career.
- Ryne Stanek – Let me preface by saying if the Hader pipedream doesn’t occur, Stanek would be a top target of mine. Stanek had a 4.09 ERA this year after posting a 1.15 ERA in 2022. But who has played in bigger games over the years than the Astros? Nobody, so taking someone from their pen could be very beneficial.
- Yimi Garcia – Garcia’s 4.5 career strikeout-to-walk ratio can play in the pen. One of the most significant issues the Mets had in their bullpen was walks. Garcia had 15 walks in 66 innings pitched.
POSITION PLAYERS
So before I go over who I would go after if I was David Stearns, let’s address Shohei Ohtani. Who wouldn’t go after the best player in the game and the unicorn we’ve never seen before? That being said, Ohtani will be 30 years old next July, and we know how these big double-digit year deals work. That being said, the Mets should talk to Ohtani. Whether they sign him or not is up in the air. But he would fill a vital role on this team as the DH, a position the Mets were atrocious at this season. However, we won’t sign Ohtani for this exercise and spend money elsewhere.
FREE AGENTS
Rhys Hoskins/Joc Pederson – How about pulling off what the Mets failed at during the 2022 trade deadline, acquiring two DH’s. Hoskins missed this season with a torn ACL but did have 30 homers in 2022. Hoskins also has a career .353 On Base Percentage. Pederson hit 15 homers and drove in 51 runs for the Giants this season. He’ll never hit for a high average, but he has a .336 career On Base Percentage. Also, both guys can spot guys in the field on certain days. Now, these two guys would fill a big void, but I also expect the young players to be able to play a significant role on the team.
Trades
Juan Soto: Juan Soto is one of the best players in all of Baseball. With him having one year left on his contract, the Mets would have to trade the prospect capital they built at the trade deadline and pay him big money. Soto has a career slash line of .284/.421/.524, but his defense could have been better. He has a -14 DRS (DEFENSIVE RUNS SAVED). Soto is 25 years old and could fit the long-term plan, but the price on both money and prospects would be critical.
Mike Trout: Now, this one is a pipedream. But depending on the situation the Angels find themselves in, now is the time to explore the Trout trade. Trout’s recent injury history does scare me. But if one owner could take the 250 million dollars left on Trout’s deal, it’d be Steve Cohen. And if the Mets were to eat that money, it could lessen the prospects they have to give up.
The Sports Insanity Network 