Coming into this offseason, the biggest priority for the New York Mets was to add starting pitching after a disastrous 2020 campaign on that front.

Outside of Jacob deGrom and David Peterson, the Mets had no guarantees who else would comprise that rotation in 2021. Now some of those questions have been answered, after Marcus Stroman accepted the $18.9 million qualifying offer on Wednesday.

With Stroman in tow, New York’s offseason has already gotten off to an incredible start, as they now have a clear No. 2 starter that can anchor the rotation alongside deGrom. Still, there are many more needs to be addressed over the coming months if the Mets want to deliver on Steve Cohen’s lofty goals of winning a World Series.

Here is a look at the Mets roster now that Stroman has returned.

Starting Pitchers

  1. Jacob deGrom
  2. Marcus Stroman
  3. David Peterson
  4. Noah Syndergaard
  5. Steven Matz
  6. Seth Lugo
  7. Corey Oswalt
  8. Franklyn Kilome
  9. Ariel Jurado
  10. Thomas Szapucki

Outside of the top three, there is no guarantee that any of the other seven starting pitchers on the current 40-man roster will make a start for the Mets in 2021.

Steven Matz is likely going to have win a job in spring training after the worst season of his career, while Noah Syndergaard still has to return healthy after Tommy John surgery. If both of those former top prospects return to form, the Mets rotation actually looks solid as is.

Seth Lugo is once again in limbo, as his return to the starting rotation was not exactly seamless (6.15 ERA over seven starts). There is a great chance the Mets new front office decides to put Lugo back into the bullpen, where he has been so successful throughout his career.

Corey Oswalt, Franklyn Kilome and Ariel Jurado represent nothing more than depth at this point, as they all pitched for the Mets in 2020 to various degrees of success.

Thomas Szapucki never quite made it to the active roster last season, but he is probably the closest prospect to making an impact on the Mets rotation next season after Kevin Smith and Jordan Humphreys were dealt midseason.

Bullpen

  1. Edwin Diaz
  2. Seth Lugo
  3. Jeurys Familia
  4. Dellin Betances
  5. Miguel Castro
  6. Brad Brach
  7. Chasen Shreve
  8. Robert Gsellman
  9. Jacob Barnes
  10. Paul Sewald
  11. Nick Tropeano
  12. Drew Smith
  13. Daniel Zamora

While the bullpen is a great area of need for the Mets, it is going to be very hard for them to add this offseason due to the amount of arms they have under contract.

Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances, Brad Brach and Chasen Shreve all appear to be near locks to be part of the bullpen next season, with Lugo likely to join them if he’s not in the rotation.

The Mets have decisions to make on both Miguel Castro and Robert Gsellman when it comes to the non-tender deadline although it would be a bit surprising if either is let go.

Jacob Barnes and Nick Tropeano were just recently added to the roster off waivers, joining Paul Sewald, Drew Smith and Daniel Zamora as depth arms.

Catchers

  1. Tomas Nido
  2. Ali Sanchez
  3. Patrick Mazeika

If the season were to start tomorrow, Tomas Nido would find himself as the only catcher on the roster with substantial major league experience. The departures of Wilson Ramos and Robinson Chirinos may have been welcomed, but there is still a hole that needs to be filled for the Mets.

Ali Sanchez and Patrick Mazeika are fine third or fourth catchers to have on the 40-man roster, but there is a clear need for a new starting catcher in Queens. After Stroman’s decision to accept the qualifying offer, adding a catcher may be the most pressing need for the Mets.

Infielders

  1. Pete Alonso, 1B
  2. Dominic Smith, 1B
  3. Robinson Cano, 2B
  4. Amed Rosario, SS
  5. Andres Gimenez, SS
  6. J.D. Davis, 3B
  7. Luis Guillorme, UT
  8. Robel Garcia, 2B

If there is one area that the Mets don’t need to address this offseason, it’s their infield. Assuming the DH does return to the National League, Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith are set to split first base duties, with Alonso being a likely primary DH.

Robinson Cano had an excellent season in 2020 both offensively (141 wRC+) and defensively (3 OAA). He will return as the starting second baseman, with Gimenez, Guillorme or even Jeff McNeil available to step in when needed.

While the possibility to upgrade at shortstop through a trade is still on the table, Rosario and Gimenez are a great contingency plan if a deal does not come to fruition.

Meanwhile J.D. Davis is the incumbent third baseman, although that role could go back to McNeil or to one the defensive wizards (Guillorme or Gimenez) depending on what other moves are made.

Outfielders

  1. Michael Conforto
  2. Brandon Nimmo
  3. Jeff McNeil
  4. Guillermo Heredia

When it comes to offensive production, the Mets have gotten outstanding performances from their outfield over the last two seasons. Michael Conforto is coming off two straight career years, while Brandon Nimmo’s September of 2019 and 2020 season were fantastic as well.

Jeff McNeil looked far more comfortable in left field than he did at third base this season, so there is a great chance that is where he remains going forward. Guillermo Heredia is a non-tender candidate, as the light-hitting center fielder was brought in under the past regime.

J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith can always be put out in left field again in a pinch, but with the Mets likely putting more focus on team defense, their days in the outfield may be numbered.

If the Opening Day outfield next season is McNeil, Nimmo and Conforto, with a defensive center fielder on the bench, the Mets can still be a great team. Still, adding an all-around center fielder would go a long way to making them that much more formidable in 2021.

As mentioned by both Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson in yesterday’s press conference, there is a great foundation for the Mets to build off of this offseason. That foundation only got better with the return of Marcus Stroman. Now let’s see what they do next.