The New York Mets have kicked off their offseason by signing Luis Severino to a one-year deal worth $13 million. It was a smart move considering the Mets' lack of starting pitching depth. There is more work to be done, as David Stearns needs more reinforcements to add to the roster.
At best, Severino should be the Mets' No. 3 starter in 2024. Last season he had his worst campaign, going 4-8 with a 6.65 ERA. When he's at his best though, the 29-year-old is a Cy-Young candidate. In 2022 he held a 3.18 ERA, but injuries limited him to only 19 starts. Stearns is hoping to catch lightning in a bottle on the one-year deal, but this shouldn't stop him from adding more pitching depth.
As of now, Severino is right behind Kodai Senga as the No. 2. Considering Steve Cohen is the richest owner in MLB, the Mets will likely add more. Senga was great in 2023, but he still hasn't done enough to be a bonafide ace.
Although the pitching is at the forefront of needs, New York still needs to improve their lineup. In 2023, the Mets were 27th in total hits. If they want to improve the win total in 2024, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor need help.
The Mets have a strong core. Alonso, Lindor, Senga, and Edwin Diaz are all in their primes. They need a few more pieces though to become a playoff threat. Here are three moves New York needs to make this offseason to get back into the playoffs.
3. Sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto
The Mets need an ace. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a 25-year-old potential superstar, who New York has been linked to all offseason. In seven seasons in the NPB, Yamamoto pitched to a 1.82 career ERA.
Senga pitched 11 seasons in the NPB and held a career 2.85 ERA. In his first MLB season, he earned a National League All-Star selection. He had over 200 strikeouts and finished 2023 with a 2.98 ERA. The 30-year-old is reportedly trying to make a pitch to Yamamoto to come and join him in New York.
Yamamoto's upside is through the roof and the Mets should be all in. With Cohen having deep pockets, he shouldn't get outbid. If he has to pay the "Mets tax", so be it.
If the Mets had Yamamoto and Senga at the top of the rotation, it would give them one of the better rotations in MLB. Severino is by no means what he once was, but he could be a solid third or fourth.
2. Trade Luisangel Acuna for Corbin Burnes
If the Mets do pull off the signing of Yamamoto, they shouldn't stop there. Severino hasn't started over 30 games since 2018. With Stearns coming to the Mets from the Milwaukee Brewers, they should try to take one more asset from their organization.
For three consecutive seasons, Corbin Burnes has been one of the best starters in the National League. In 2021 he captured the NL Cy Young award after striking out 234 and holding a league-leading 2.43 ERA.
New York has a ton of intriguing prospects in their farm system. One of those prospects is Luisangel Acuna, the 21-year-old middle infielder. In 2023, the Mets prospect swiped a total of 57 bases in the minors. He finished with a .294 batting average, to go along with a .359 on-base percentage.
With Lindor and Jeff McNeil being up the middle for next season, it doesn't provide a clear path for Acuna. The organization also has high hopes for Jett Williams to become the second baseman, as he won the Mets Minor League Player of the Year Award.
Pitching wins championships in baseball, and that's especially true for the Mets. The last time Queens had a World Series game in 2015, the team was built off its starting rotation. Signing Yamamoto and trading for Burnes would give the Mets the best rotation in baseball.
As talented as Acuna is, including him as the headliner for a trade package to acquire Burnes could be the best move to make.
The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are loaded. They're not going anywhere, which means the Mets need a lot to get into the NL East action. A rotation led by Senga, Yamamoto, and Burnes would be elite. Last season they went after pitchers well past their prime, those three are just entering theirs.
Severino would be slated as the fourth if the Mets made these moves, which would be the most ideal scenario. If things don't work out, they have flexibility considering he's on a one-year deal. They could always catch that lighting in a bottle though, which would be the best-case scenario.
With a lot of offseason left, the Mets have time to build up their roster still. Rumors of Burnes being traded have been spurring for a few seasons now. If he's truly on the trade block, Stearns should be calling the Brewers.
1. Sign Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger might just be the best offensive free agent not named Shohei Ohtani. In 2023, the former MVP had a phenomenal bounce-back season.
During his run with the Chicago Cubs, Bellinger hit 27 HRs, drove in 97 runs, and had a .307 batting average. He's also just 28 years old, so many teams still believe that the two-time All-Star can get back to his old self after his 2023 season.
Right now the Mets don't have enough firepower in their lineup to compete with the other teams in the NL East. Alonso and Lindor are great, but none of them are A+ players.
New York shouldn't pass on Bellinger. They need another guy who can drive in runs in the middle of their lineup, and the former MVP could be the perfect fit.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Mets are out on Ohtani. This means the next best option is Bellinger. After him, there's a large drop-off in production from the other free agents on the market.
With the players the Mets have on their roster already, they have a shot at the playoffs. Cohen has World Series hopes though. For that to happen though, the pitching needs to improve, on top of them finding another impact bat to join Alonso and Lindor.
The Mets don't need Ohtani to win a World Series. If they were to sign Yamamoto and Bellinger, along with trading for Burnes, it would give New York a real shot to win it all. To add to it, all three are in the prime years of their career.
