Mets have all the pieces in place to make giant step forward

SAN ANTONIO — For a team viewed as taking a giant step forward in 2024, the Mets sure have to take a giant step forward this offseason to, well, take a giant step forward. 

Yep, even I am exhausted writing that sentence, so I can imagine how you feel. 

But really, the Mets squad that elated their fan base from June onward is gone. The Mets have 14 free agents — four more than any of the other 12 playoff teams. They have to rebuild their rotation and bullpen, re-sign or replace the power of Pete Alonso and — among other items — determine if Jose Iglesias was a one-year O-M-G feel-good story. 

“Clearly, we are going to have significant roster turnover,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “It’s going to look different next year. The formula, frankly, is going to be different every single year. It’s highlighted this year because we have a number of free agents, but it is going to be a different mix every single year. That’s also an opportunity for us. It’s an opportunity to continue to get better, to continue to round out our team in ways we think are productive.” 

The reason to feel that the Mets will capably do this is due to what is not changing. You can argue that when it comes to owner (Steve Cohen), head of baseball operations (Stearns) and manager (Carlos Mendoza), the organization has not been this well synched and covered since the late 1960s with Joan Payson, Johnny Murphy and Gil Hodges. 

Cohen has shown he will invest what is necessary to be Dodgers East and not the other team in town to the Yankees. Stearns did in his first season with the Mets what he annually did on much stricter budgets with the Brewers — patiently and perceptively assemble a contender. And when the Baseball Writers Association of America announces its three awards finalist in each category Monday, I suspect Mendoza will be among them for NL Manager of the Year. If Mendoza were a stock, you’d buy it after watching his steady leadership through a dim first two months and then seeing his team steadily perform better and with more confidence as the season progressed.