With MLB free agency and the Steve Cohen era underway, each of the editors at MMO will be brainstorming their own offseason plan. We are planning as if we were the GM and have roughly $72M to work with (a huge increase from recent years).

With Cohen taking over ownership from the Wilpons, the Mets are certainly going to have a lot more freedom and flexibility than they’ve had in recent years. This is about how much room the front office could have to spend assuming that they are willing to spend up to the $210 million luxury tax threshold.

Offseason Plan No. 1 — Mojo Hill

It’s no secret that pitching — both starting and relieving — was the downfall of the 2020 New York Mets. Their starting staff, which was once thought to be the strength of this team, had the third-worst ERA in the National League, while the bullpen was fashionably mediocre at 7th-worst in the NL. Overall the Mets had the fourth-worst team ERA in the NL.

This offseason started off on the right foot though, with Cohen officially taking over the team, which was subsequently followed by Marcus Stroman accepting the Mets’ qualifying offer of $18.9M. Now, the rotation looks a little more respectable, but still waivers on the thin side with quite a drop-off after Jacob deGrom. The team should be welcoming the return of Noah Syndergaard at some point in 2021, but that’s not something they should be relying on.

The Rotation

DeGrom still leads what is currently a very unstable rotation after his spot, though as mentioned, Stroman certainly solidifies things a little bit. While having him as their number-two guy isn’t ideal, he should be able to adequately fit into the middle of the rotation.

The Mets also have the youngster David Peterson, who impressed in his first major league season in 2020, but to call him a solidified number-three starter at this point might be just a little hopeful. While he certainly did enough to figure into the Mets’ 2020 plans, relying on him may not be the smartest move.

A lot of the talk this offseason has been about where Trevor Bauer is going to go, as from a talent and statistical standpoint, he’s the best free agent starter available. Personality issues aside, I think he would be a valuable addition to any ball club, but I think the Mets can take a slightly cheaper and possibly just as effective option. And that comes in the form of Masahiro Tanaka.

Tanaka has somewhat quietly been an above-average starting pitcher since he first debuted in 2014, and his consistency has been particularly impressive. The Mets should be able to get him on a three-year deal at an $18M AAV.

Assuming he’s healthy, he should be a solid 3-win pitcher, and can slot nicely between deGrom and Stroman. Suddenly, that top three looks competitive.

But the Mets shouldn’t stop there. Their next pitching addition should come in the form of Kevin Gausman, who posted a 3.09 FIP (11.92 K/9) in the shortened 2020 season. While Gausman has primarily been a starter, he also has experience out of the bullpen and could slide in there if needed. The Mets could sign him for two years and $28M.

I also believe the Mets should take a gamble on Robbie Ray, who struggled this season but has posted a K/9 over 11.0 in every season since 2016. The lefty also posted back-to-back 3.3 fWAR seasons in 2016 and 2017. I would give him $18M across two years and try him out in the backend of the rotation. He is still just 29 and if he bounces back, he could be a more than solid option there.

If all these signings played out, the Mets would be looking at a rotation of deGrom, Tanaka, Stroman, Gausman, and Ray. If/when Syndergaard comes back, Gausman or Ray could move to the bullpen depending on how they’re performing, and if all comes together, a staff of deGrom, Syndergaard, Tanaka, Stroman, and Gausman/Ray could be nasty.

The Bullpen

The Mets’ relief corps could also certainly use some reinforcements. While there really aren’t any big-name closers in this year’s market, there’s still a few guys the Mets should snag to tighten things up in front of closer Edwin Diaz.

I think the Mets should start by re-signing Justin Wilson. It’s funny that I write this because two offseason ago, I wrote an entire article about why the Mets should stay away from him. But he proved me wrong and has been a key part of the team’s bullpen over the last two years, and on a one-year, $6M deal, I don’t see any harm at all in bringing him back. There’s never anything wrong with adding a good left-handed pitcher to your bullpen.

Another guy the Mets should add to their bullpen is Alex Colome, who they should be able to get on a two-year, $14M deal. Colome has been one of the game’s most underrated closers since 2016, and posted a minuscule 0.81 ERA in 21 games this year. He could be a fantastic set-up man for Diaz.

Then there’s Blake Treinen, who was serviceable for the world champion Dodgers this year after an ugly 2019. While he’s unlikely to return to his dominant 2018 form, he should still have some gas left in the tank, and I believe the Mets should give him two years and $17M. He could be another effective guy in the late innings and would really help strengthen that bullpen.

There’s also the possibility of Gausman or Ray slotting in somewhere, and of course the Mets still Seth Lugo who has been incredibly effective in relief but much less effective as a starter. And there will certainly be plenty of minor signings that could play in here and there, but these are the main moves I think the Mets should make.

Trade Time

As in any typical offseason, there has been plenty of trade talk throughout baseball. But with Cohen taking over, there’s a bigger sense of excitement surrounding the Mets and their possibilities. They certainly could trade for star shortstop Francisco Lindor, and as long as they don’t drastically overpay, I think it would be hard for any Mets fan to object to that.

But I’m thinking something simpler (and maybe more controversial).

Hear me out, I think the Mets should trade for Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez. He was not good in 2020, thought that .159 BABIP didn’t exactly help. His offensive potential is still off the charts, and his defense is over-hated on by Yankees fans.

Sanchez is projected to make $5.1-6.4M in arbitration, so for the sake of convenience, I’ll split the difference and put him down for $5.75M.

It’s no secret that the Mets need a catcher, and there’s also no denying that Sanchez would be a huge upgrade over Wilson Ramos or Tomas Nido. Sanchez would be a powerful bat in the middle of the Mets’ lineup, and with his value at a relative low, it really wouldn’t take a ton to get him. I’m thinking the Mets could offer up a package of Shervyen Newton (as much as I do like him) and Ali Sanchez. While Newton is a decent prospect and Ali Sanchez is a great defensive catcher, I don’t think it would be an overpay for a guy like Gary Sanchez.

Position Players

Despite the Mets’ mediocre performance overall in 2020 and their lack of clutch hitting skills, I don’t think there are any major free agent additions they really need to add to their lineup. Their biggest offensive weakness is catcher, but I covered that with Sanchez.

Of course, they could end up opting to sign catcher J.T. Realmuto, the top free agent available this winter. They could also add a starting outfielder such as George Springer, though I don’t think outfield is a pressing need in terms of their top priorities this offseason.

I do have the Mets signing Brad Miller for one year and $4M, really just as some extra depth who can play multiple positions. The Mets will likely acquire. multiple guys of that caliber, as teams tend to do in any year, but with the way I structured my offseason plan, it doesn’t really leave room for a Realmuto or Springer type. I chose to focus heavily on pitching because in my eyes, that’s the much more immediate need.

There is still the question of Pete Alonso versus Dominic Smith, and it’s definitely possible that one of them gets traded this winter. Personally, I would hold onto both of them and start Alonso regularly at first, fitting Smith in when needed, and I would continue to get him reps in the outfield even though he’s much worse there than at first. If Alonso struggles and Smith continues to shine, then the Mets can adjust accordingly, but I’m not overreacting to Alonso’s brief sophomore slump or Smith’s breakout in the COVID-shortened season.

Final Tally

Key Additions: Masahiro Tanaka (3 yrs, 54M), Kevin Gausman (2 yrs, 28M), Robbie Ray (2 yrs, 18M), Blake Treinen (2 yrs, 17M), Alex Colome (2 yrs, 14M), Gary Sanchez (projected $5.1-6.4 AAV), Justin Wilson (1 yr, 6M), Brad Miller (1 yr, 4M)

Key Subtractions: Yoenis Cespedes (free agency), Rick Porcello (free agency), Michael Wacha (free agency), Jake Marisnick (free agency), Shervyen Newton (minors), Ali Sanchez (minors)

Total Increase: $72.25M

Total Payroll: $209.9M