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Despite losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in six games, the New York Mets are in an incredible position to re-rool and be one of the best teams in baseball in 2024. Armed with some of the most depth in all of baseball and an owner who is willing to spend whatever it takes to win, Mets fans have a lot to be optimistic about heading into 2025.
While the obvious answer to what the Mets should do this offseason is to try and sign New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto, who will also be a free agent, it is difficult to imagine him going anywhere else after the amount of success he has had in the Bronx as he gets ready to play in the World Series. But, if Soto just wants to go wherever he will be paid the most and Mets owner Steve Cohen is willing to write the biggest check, everything else goes out the window.
With that being said, assuming Soto re-signs with the Yankees, here is what the Mets should do this offseason to build off of their incredible 2024 season.
1. Re-sign Pete Alonso
The biggest story heading into the offseason will be what the Mets decide to do with first baseman Pete Alonso. Alonso, 29, will be a free agent. The Mets have engaged Alonso in extension talks before, but have been unable to come to an agreement ahead of his free agency. In his six seasons with the Mets, Alonso has been one of the absolute best power hitters in baseball. While his defense has significantly improved and his power numbers have stayed relatively consistent, he does not get on base at an especially high clip.
With super-agent Scott Boras representing Alonso and leading the negotiations, it is likely that he will command a long-term deal worth over $200 million. Before this season, most expected the Mets to be willing to let Alonso walk and spend that money elsewhere. A popular idea has been to move third baseman Mark Viento to first base and sign a third baseman in free agency like Alex Bregman. However, with the way the Mets played this season and the huge role that Alonso had in the surprise postseason run, it would be foolish to disrupt the team chemistry and allow one of their more productive and clutch players to leave in free agency for nothing.
Yes, it will likely be an overpay. Yes, Alonso will probably not be very productive at the end of his deal. But, the Mets' timeline has changed and they are officially in win-now territory. Cohen should fork over whatever it takes to keep Alonso in Queens and keep this season's core together.
2. Re-sign Sean Manaea
Three of the Mets' primary starting pitchers, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana are all expected to hit free agency this offseason. While they all had excellent 2024 seasons with the Mets, it is unlikely that all three will be able to be re-signed. If the Mets have to make a tough decision and choose who to bring back, it should absolutely be Manaea.
Manaea, who is expected to reject his player option for 2025, completely reinvented himself this season, dropping his arm slot to mimic likely-NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale's iconic delivery. Once he made that slight mechanical change over the summer, Manaea almost-instantly became one of the best pitchers in baseball. Without Manaea's late-season dominance, the Mets may not have been able to earn the final NL Wild Card spot. Even though Severino is two years younger, Manaea has shown that he is able to adapt and has the potential to continue to improve despite being 32 and entering his 10th season.
3. Sign Blake Snell
In the end, the biggest issue for the Mets against the Dodgers in the NLCS was their starting pitching. They just could not contain the Dodgers offense. While a full offseason for Kodai Senga, who made just one regular season appearance before returning to the Mets in a reduced role in the postseason, should help, this is the area of their roster where they have the most clear need for improvement.
After an infamous offseason that saw Blake Snell sign a short-term, below-market deal with the San Francisco Giants and miss almost all of Spring Training, he struggled to start the season. But, after the All-Star break, Snell went 5-0 with a 1.23 ERA and 114 strikeouts over 80 1/3 innings in 14 starts to end the season and set himself up to be the most sought-after starting pitcher in free agency.
The Mets have the ability to out-bid almost every team if they find a player they want. Snell would instantly give the Mets a Cy Young-caliber pitcher to lead their rotation. If they are able to re-sign two of the three of Manaea, Severino and Quintana, a rotation of Snell, Senga, David Peterson and a combination of Manaea, Severino and Quintana would easily be one of, if not the best in baseball.
