The Yoshinobu Yamamoto free-agent race is finally over. And, well, it didn’t go as planned.

Yamamoto decided to join Shohei Ohtani in the Dodger blue, taking the Mets bid to Los Angeles and allowing the organization to match the dollar figure.

While many didn’t believe it at the time, the Mets were reportedly the third team behind the Yankees and Dodgers during Yamamoto’s brief free agency. The outcome, while disappointing, confirmed these reports.

Now that Yamamoto is officially off the table, it’s time for the Mets to look forward. There are still plenty of free agents available and the Mets still have quite a few roster spots to fill.

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Starting Rotation

The most notable area the Mets need to fill is the rotation.

Missing out on Yamamoto certainly makes this area trickier to fix. The 25-year-old would have slotted as the Mets ace for 2024 and the next decade.

Instead, the Mets rotation for 2024 is top-heavy. Kodai Senga and José Quintana are solid options at the top, but the bottom is filled out with question marks in Luis Severino, Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill, and José Butto.

Adding Adrian Houser on Thursday helped lengthen the rotation, but he’s more of a depth piece than a difference-maker. He started in 21 games last season but failed to make it past the fourth inning eight times and registered a 4.12 ERA.

Still, even with these holes, the Mets are looking at more of a patch job this offseason than long-term solutions. David Stearns already hinted the Mets wouldn’t pivot to other big names such as Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell if they missed out on Yamamoto, which makes sense when looking at the dollar figures they’re asking for after dominating seasons past age 30.

The more realistic option on the market is Lucas Giolito. He had a horrid second half in 2023 but is a former All-Star who is projected to take a short-term deal with the hopes of parlaying it into a longer-term deal in 2025.

Another option for the Mets would be Shōta Imanaga. The left-hander has a career 2.96 ERA in Nippon Professional Baseball, and is renowned for his excellent command and deceptive low 90s fastball.

Designated Hitter

The next area of immediate focus for the Mets should be the designated hitter. The position has been destitute for the Mets since the National League adopted it and this offseason could change that narrative.

The most logical route would be a reunion with Justin Turner. The 38-year-old had another above-average offensive season, slashing .276/.345/.455 with 23 homers and 96 RBI with the Red Sox. He could slot into the middle of the Mets lineup and do damage.

Plus, Turner also solves another issue for the Mets: Third Base. Ronny Mauricio is going to miss the entire 2024 season after tearing his ACL and Brett Baty registered a .598 OPS in 108 games last season. Turner gives the Mets another option at the position in case Baty struggles again or if Mark Vientos can’t handle the defensive responsibilities.

The other options on the market are J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler. Martinez slugged 33 homers and recorded a .893 OPS at age 35, while Soler recorded a .853 OPS with 36 homers with no protection in the Marlins lineup.

Both are enticing and strong right-handed bats. The only issue with the two is their fluidity on the roster. Martinez and Soler are true DHs. Martinez will be 36 next year and played all but three games at DH in 2023. Soler on the other hand played 62 games in the field last season but registered -3 outs above average and a -5 run value in the field.

The Bullpen

Stearns has been busy this offseason making smart moves to steadily improve the ‘pen. He has added veteran arms in Jorge López, Michael Tonkin, Yohan Ramírez, and Austin Adams this offseason, while also signing Kyle Crick, Cole Sulser, and Andre Scrubb to minor-league deals.

Still, the Mets bullpen is missing one or two pieces. Late-inning arms.

One popular name that fits the profile is David Robertson. The 39-year-old was stellar for the Mets in the first half of 2023, pitching to a 2.05 ERA before being flipped to the Marlins for the Mets now No. 6 prospect Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernández.

It’s also worth noting Robertson lives in Rhode Island and would be open to a reunion with the Mets. He did, however, struggle with the Marlins in the second half of 2023. R0bertson pitched to 5.05 ERA in Miami and was demoted from the closer’s role.

Another arm the Mets could pursue is Aroldis Chapman. The ex-Yankee fixed a mechanical issue in the 2022-23 off-season and was back to throwing 103 miles per hour last season.

With his old velocity, Chapman had another overpowering season. He struck out 15.9 batters per nine, finishing with a 3.09 ERA and World Series ring in 2023.

The free agent market starts to thin after Chapman and Robertson. Josh Hader is still available but is asking for a contract worth more than Edwin Díaz. The Mets could turn to Matt Moore or Michael Fulmer, but those two have little to no experience late in games.