The Mets learned two things in the 2015 postseason: how good they are (very) and how far they have to go to be great (not very, but it won’t be an easy trip).
GM Sandy Alderson started the offseason by smartly locking up Terry Collins for another two years, then -- obviously euphoric about his team’s 2016 prospects, promptly fainted at a press conference to announce the manager’s extension.
Having regained consciousness, the GM will now have to work to address the team’s weak spots -- subpar middle-infield defense, a collapsed bridge from the starters to closer Jeurys Familia, and, soon enough, the lack of a powerful bat in the cleanup spot, as Yoenis Cespedes is expected to depart for a rich free agent deal following a brief but extremely memorable tenure in Queens.
Luckily for Mets fans still shocked by how quickly their dream season was dashed, Alderson comes to the table with a hand no other rival can match: a starting rotation of five young pitchers who are all talented enough to fill one of the top two spots on just about any Major League staff (Dodgers, this includes you too if free agent Zack Greinke decides to head out the door).
Talk about trade value. Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are all phenomenal talents with recently-accrued postseason chops, and, crucially, all are still incredible bargains as they remain several years away from big-money free agency. This season, the trio earned roughly $1.5 million in total (actually they earned about 50 times that, but that’s what they got paid) -- or, in other words, slightly more than the Wilpons are paying Bobby Bonilla in 2015.
Meanwhile, Matz and post-Tommy John surgery Zack Wheeler are good enough to be among the NL’s better starters.
Alas, Alderson has said he’d much prefer not to deal any of his starters, and while some (such as yours truly) think that’s the wrong move, anyone can certainly see why the GM would want to hold on to all of them.
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Still, with NCLS hero/WS goat Murphy probably following Cespedes out the door for a lucrative deal in another city (or at least another borough, if you believe the rumors), it remains to be seen if the Mets can get what they need from the farm system or in free agency. For what it’s worth, Alderson did say he’s expecting a big bump in payroll in 2016. (Ben Zobrist, are you listening?)
You know who’d look great (if a bit hefty) in orange-and-blue? Kyle Schwarber. Don’t laugh. I know his inept outfield play propelled the Mets into the World Series about as much as their starting pitching did. But still, at just 22, the Hulk is the most dangerous young hitter in the game not named Harper and Trout. You can teach Schwarber how to catch the ball. But you can’t teach anyone else to hit like him. With golden arms to spare, maybe Alderson could pry him loose.
Of course, it’d be ideal to improve the team without surrendering any of its key hurlers. But it’s sure nice to know that when it comes to deal time, the Mets have the chips.
