A Puzzling MLB Offseason

What Happened: Take a look at the New York Mets roster in its current form and you might do a double take. Sure, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor are still there. But talent has been fleeing Queens in this free agency period, and the plan to replace these key pieces is not super clear to much of anyone. (Except for, one would think, president of baseball operations David Stearns.)

Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz have already found new homes this offseason, while Brandon Nimmo was shipped off to Texas, which has the larger baseball world wondering: what’s next for the Mets?

Why You Care: Because Steve Cohen looms large over MLB, whether you like it or not.

He’s the richest owner in baseball and has shown a willingness to throw money at problems. But he’s done so in different ways, which means the Mets’ next move is unclear.

Cohen has spent big to bring on talent - look no further than Soto’s 15-year, $765 million deal signed just over a year ago. He’s also spent money to rid the roster of unwanted contracts in order to improve the returns in trades. The Mets sent significant sums of money along with future Hall of Famers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer in trades during the 2023 season to improve the quality of prospects the Mets got back.

With the big bats of Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Cody Bellinger still out there, will Cohen and Stearns feel a need to make a statement signing? There’s been little to connect the Mets with any of free agency’s big names, and Stearns made his name in Milwaukee, uncovering value at the margins as opposed to simply writing checks.

For a portion of the fanbase, the offseason so far has simply been a case of LOLMets and a sign the bad times are back. Others watched a team projected to compete for a World Series miss the postseason entirely and applaud not simply running things back. But the next move from this front office is anyone’s guess so far. The rest of MLB is watching and waiting.