Heading into the New York Mets game today, the club has the highest payroll in baseball and sits near the bottom of the MLB standings. After acting as sellers at the MLB trade deadline, many expected the 2024 season to be a transition year for New York.
Using next season as a year to ‘retool’ the roster felt even more inevitable following Max Scherzer’s comments. After being traded to the Texas Rangers, Scherzer told The Athletic that he was informed by general manager Billy Eppler of the Mets’ intentions to not reload in 2024.
Instead, New York would focus on a long-term plan. In a best-case scenario, the Mets would become a contender in 2025 but the organization reportedly indicated to Scherzer that re-emerging as a playoff threat in the National League was more likely in 2026.
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It would’ve meant a very quiet offseason for New York and a long 2024 season for the fan base. While the Mets’ improved farm system would provide the organization with reasons to be optimistic for the future, the next two seasons are projected to be challenging for the club. However, it now appears that’s no longer the plan.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have no intentions of rebuilding or even waving the white flag on the 2024 MLB season. Instead, New York is expected to be active in free agency with the goal of improving its pitching.
“If people think [Cohen] will punt on next year, they are mistaken. [They] have a very good core of position players and if they play close to their potential will be in the hunt next year. And you know [Cohen] will sign pitching.”
New York Mets-connected person to Jon Heyman
The report and the insight from the source linked with the Mets tie in with the perspective of Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The long-time MLB insider suggested that New York will be very active in free agency this winter, albeit with a different approach than previous offseasons.
Instead of going after premium talent who are already well into their 30s, the Mets are expected to prioritize younger free agents. This means MLB MVP race leader Shohei Ohtani and Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be some of the Mets’ top-free agent targets.
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It’s not a surprising approach to take based on statements owner Steve Cohen has made in the past about his desire to win a championship. The Mets will pursue young, high-end talent with the hope their peak seasons align with New York’s top prospects emerging. If that happens, the Mets could be a Wild Card contender in 2024 and one of the best MLB teams in 2025.