Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

The rumor mill has been soaring lately, especially with the Mets (thanks Steve Cohen!). To recap for you, the Mets have:

Let’s also not forget that Trevor Bauer took it upon himself to share a video all about Steve Cohen’s “brilliant start” and that there are also these two really good players out there George Springer and J.T. Realmuto that would be good fits with the Mets.

So, this all led our team to think about who the most important player target is for the Mets. Here’s what we think.

Marissa Credle

To me, the most important player target for the Mets is J.T. Realmuto. The Mets haven’t had a star catcher since Mike Piazza and that was more than a decade ago. With Realmuto being a free agent, there’s no reason the Mets shouldn’t be offering him money to sign with the team. While I would love Francisco Lindor and think that he’s a big player to target in a potential trade, I think Realmuto is a greater need and acquiring a catcher is what the team should have as their number one priority. The Mets have a gaping hole at the catcher position, even if they happen to re-sign Wilson Ramos.

Dilip Sridhar

Well, the biggest addition they could make is hiring David Stearns (which we know is not happening). But in terms of player acquisition, I’d say it is either Bauer or Springer. Remember when the 2015 Mets were borderline unbeatable when they scored 4 runs or more?

The 2020 Mets are almost polar opposites. Signing Springer enables the Mets to shift Nimmo to his natural position in left and it allows the Mets to dangle Davis, Smith, or Alonso in trades for pitching. Signing Bauer fills that need head on. Both work to make the Mets contenders in 2021. Getting Stroman back was a start but he’s miscast as a number two in the rotation. So for that, I’d say Bauer or Springer are the most important moves they can make.

Rich Sparago 

The most important player target for the Mets is Trevor Bauer. The Mets need help at other positions, such as catcher and center field, but their most glaring need is starting pitching. The return of Marcus Stroman certainly helps, but holes remain in the rotation. Rick Porcello (5.64 ERA) and Michael Wacha (7.20 ERA) will not return. Noah Syndergaard will not be back before June. The Mets, coming off a season when their starters posted an ERA of 5.37 need significant upgrades in the rotation if they intend to compete in 2021.

Why not lock up the 2020 Cy Young winner, and have the last three NL Cy Young awards at the top of their rotation? DeGrom, Bauer, Stroman, Peterson and then Syndergaard in mid-season? Yes, I’ll take that. This isn’t to say they should stop at Bauer, just that Bauer should be priority number one.

Sal Manzo

For awhile I thought the most important player the Mets would need to sign this offseason was of course JT Realmuto, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more I realized that he should not be the top priority. The Mets will only go as far as their starting pitching will take them, which is why (especially after Stroman decided to opt back in for 2021) their priority needs to be bringing Trevor Bauer to Queens. He would be a much needed 1B to the teams #1 starter and really re-legitimize a starting staff that has really taken a hit besides deGrom the last couple of years.

Michelle Ioannou

This took me a bit to choose between which void I want to fill more — the one in the rotation or the one at catcher. But, if I had to choose just one to be first (not only, but first), I have to go with Realmuto. The Mets need a strong, experienced catcher who contributes at the plate. That’s what they were hoping to have with Travis d’Arnaud, but that didn’t happen until he became an Atlanta Brave. There has been a hole in catcher for a long while now (dare I say since Mike Piazza?) and with a player like Realmuto out there, it seems like an easy choice. Immediately after that? Sign Bauer.

Ryan Finkelstein

I realize that everyone’s focus is one Trevor Bauer right now, but I’m hesitant to sign the player the most benefitted from this year’s shortened season, posting gaudy numbers against some truly terrible offenses. Can Bauer help the Mets?

Absolutely he can. I just don’t want to overpay for a pitcher that has been up-and-down throughout his career if I can spread that money and fill multiple needs. With all that being said, Francisco Lindor is the player the Mets top target this offseason.

Lindor is the one player the Mets can realistically acquire this offseason that could win the NL MVP next year. He would instantly become the face of the franchise for the Mets, as a two-way superstar playing a premier position. Yet the best part of this exercise is that all of the options are realistic for Steve Cohen’s Mets. Which is a welcome change from year’s past.