Stearns: Mets Are “Never Going to Stop Looking” For Upgrades

After adding Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr. and Luis García, the Mets will continue to monitor the market to see if there are any potential additions to bolster the Mets roster. Steve Gelbs of SNY spoke with president of baseball operations, David Stearns, after Bichette’s press conference and asked him about where the roster stands.

Where the Mets Stand on Position Players

On the position player front, Stearns said, “I feel good about our position player grouping as a whole. I think we have a group that complements each other very well, a group that fits very well together. As you said, we are never going to stop looking. At this point in the offseason in particular, things pop up that you don’t anticipate. Things can change pretty quickly. But I am happy with the position player group we have right now.”

The main additions to the Mets lineup this offseason are Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, Bichette, and Robert. Gelbs asked Stearns if he was prioritizing contact hitters and limiting swing and miss. Stearns stated that contact specifically was not the priority, but taking competitive at-bats up and down the lineup was a priority. He stated that the Mets lineup will see “highly competitive bats one through nine”.

In December, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Mets held interest in adding a right-handed batter and that person could end up being a player who could also play first base. Since adding right-handed hitters in Bichette and Robert, it is unclear if that is still a goal of the Mets. After the Robert trade, Will Sammon of The Athletic wrote, “A smaller addition for the lineup, perhaps an outfielder for a relatively modest price, shouldn’t be ruled out.”

Where the Mets Stand on Pitching

When asked about the rotation, Stearns said, “My preference is to add a starting pitcher. I have been open and honest about that through the entirety of the offseason. I can’t say with certainty we are going to be able to do that, but we remain engaged on a number of different fronts in that market. We certainly have plenty of time to go in the offseason and plenty of time before Opening Day, so we will see where it heads.”

Sammon connected the Mets to Freddy Peralta and Framber Valdez as options that could fill the front of the rotation and Chris Bassitt and Jose Quintana as options that could slot into the back. The Dodgers were recently linked to Peralta by Katie Woo of The Athletic. When Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was asked earlier today at the Kyle Tucker press conference if the Dodgers are still in the market for starting pitching, he responded, “We are not”, per Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation.

Sammon also recently mentioned Kris Bubic and MacKenzie Gore could be potential fits for the Mets, but that both are long shots. Tarik Skubal would be the top starter moved if traded, but it is unclear if he will be traded this offseason.

The Full Roster

After signing García, the Mets 40 man roster stands at 41 players. This means someone will need to be removed to make room for him. When the 60-day injured list opens in February, the Mets can move Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett and Dedniel Núñez to the 60-day IL, opening up three more 40-man spots. That will allow them to be opportunistic in spring training as teams try to pass players through waivers.

Until then, the Mets continue to monitor the market to improve the Mets roster before Opening Day. Whether that comes in the form of pitching, offense, or both, as Stearns said, the Mets are “never going to stop looking.”

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