The New York Mets have had an outstanding offseason, and few teams have matched their level of activity. The past week was especially exciting for manager Carlos Mendoza and the organization.
In just two days, the Mets made several major moves, signing star infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year deal, trading for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox, and improving their rotation with Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Mets manager expressed his ecstasy over his organization's performance in the offseason.
“They are all excited to join our organization, and everybody’s liking the way we’re heading here,” Mendoza said Sunday on MLB Network Radio.
Mendoza’s comments followed the Mets’ quick rebound after missing out on Kyle Tucker, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mendoza will now have to figure out how all the pieces fit, and he said he has already begun sketching out possible lineups. With Bo Bichette, Robert, Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco all capable of hitting near the top of the order, he has plenty of options.
“We have a lot of flexibility, with the switch-hitting from Polanco and Lindor,” Mendoza said. “Then you've got a lefty in Soto that can hit righties and lefties. And you've got Bo … this guy is elite.
“There's a lot of combinations here that I could go. I need to talk to players. I need to get a feel for where they are at. We'll make some adjustments, but definitely exciting.”
Mets fans were unhappy about losing Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Diaz, but keeping the same group didn’t make sense after missing the playoffs with the second-highest payroll.
New York ended the season 83-79, tying the Cincinnati Reds for the final wild card, but lost the tiebreaker and missed the playoffs.
After a quiet offseason start, the Mets have quickly emerged as NL East contenders with owner Steve Cohen’s backing. With spring training nearing, it remains to be seen if the moves lead to October baseball.
