3 big questions from Mets’ busy offseason
This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it often in your inbox.
It has been, by any measure, a banner offseason for the Mets, who’ve completed extra to reinforce their roster than any membership in baseball. Eight hundred million {dollars} of spending can accomplish lots for a franchise, but it surely can’t assure a championship. So because the New Year dawns, it’s value digging into three questions the Mets should reply in the event that they want to remodel from huge spenders into huge winners:
1. Is age really only a quantity?
On paper, the Mets possess one in all baseball’s most formidable rotations. Only when contemplating the age of New York’s projected beginning 5 — a mixed 178 years outdated, with all 5 members on the mistaken facet of 30 — that issues start to look a bit extra tenuous.
The good news is that Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander have confirmed their potential to thrive at ages when lots of their friends are contemplating retirement; Verlander did simply win the Cy Young, in any case. But accidents usually tend to occur to older pitchers — that’s a easy truth of life — and each member of the beginning 5 has had his share. Can this group maintain up over 162 video games? If not, will the depth the Mets have assembled be sufficient to maintain issues buzzing?
2. Will New York’s rebuilt bullpen be elite?
The Mets didn’t have a lot alternative however to re-sign Edwin Díaz to a report five-year, $102 million contract. Had options existed, normal supervisor Billy Eppler might have lingered longer on knowledge that exhibits the checkered historical past of such offers. This is an costly bullpen, with Díaz, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino alone set to make a mixed $38.5 million subsequent season — a bit lower than the Orioles spent on their total 2022 payroll. The Mets additionally introduced in numerous depth, however relievers are fickle.
It could be useful if a couple of helpful items can emerge from the Minors, contemplating the group’s bother producing affect relievers over the previous decade. Last season, New York’s bullpen was persistently good. It will should be so once more to supply assist for the ageing rotation.
3. Are the Mets truly the category of the NL East?
Anecdotally, the membership’s $315 million settlement with Carlos Correa (medicals nonetheless pending, per supply) appeared to leapfrog it over Atlanta and Philadelphia within the minds of many. But the Braves stay the five-time defending NL East champions, and regardless of their quiet offseason, they haven’t gotten a lot worse; Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Max Fried, Spencer Strider and plenty of others will probably be again to face in New York’s method at any time when doable. Then there are the Phillies, brimming with confidence following their run to the World Series and the $300 million addition of Trea Turner.
On paper, the Mets are most likely higher than each of their closest NL East rivals. But they’re not so significantly better that they’re prone to run away with the division. This ought to be one other struggle to the ultimate days of September.
