Why the Mets Still Need to Find An Offensive Upgrade

All winter long, New York Mets fans have barked that the team's ownership group never seems willing to spend money or add any substantial amount of payroll. That criticism is well-deserved given the Met's stubbornness to make substantial upgrades to their roster to this point and the comments made by Sandy Alderson and the Wilpon Family during the Winter Meetings which suggested the team would actually look to slash payroll.

Around that time, it was rumored that the Mets were looking to slash about $20-$30 million dollars off their payroll from last season, which sat around $155 million, when you take into account the every player on their 40-man roster during the course of the 2017 season. Granted, that was only a rumor and never confirmed, but it does go hand-in-hand with ownership's refusal to make significant upgrades and give the Mets fan base the best possible chance to end the season with a ring.

Up to this point, the only players that have been added to the Mets roster include Anthony Swarzak, who signed a two-year deal at the beginning of December when the relief market was falling like a set of dominos, and Jay Bruce, whose 3-year, $39 million dollar deal, still has not been confirmed by the club.

Assuming the Bruce deal goes through, that gives the Mets a legitimate outfield bat and someone who can provide some thump within their lineup, but should they stop there with offensive upgrades? The answer to that question is simple: no they should not.

Rather than stopping here and looking to make cost-effective moves, the Mets should be all-in on bringing aboard another catcher like, Jonathan Lucroy, a third base option, such as Todd Frazier or better yet Mike Moustakas, and should consider looking at a potential addition to their starting rotation, which can never seem to make it through a full season healthy. The starting pitching addition doesn't have to come in the form of someone at the top of the free agent market like Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta, but rather someone like Jeremy Hellickson or Andrew Cashner. Sure, both Hellickson and Cashner aren't the most attractive names available on the market, but when both of them are healthy, they can provide some important depth to any starting rotation and would likely come at an affordable price.

Turning to the other positions that the Mets should be focused on upgrading, catcher and third base, the markets for all three of the players that the Mets should consider, Jonathan Lucroy, Todd Frazier, and Mike Moustakas, has yet to really develop. There have been rumblings throughout the league throughout the winter about a few teams potentially considering one of those three players, but nothing substantial. Given that, now might be the perfect time for the Mets to swoop in with an intriguing offer, and try to get two of the three players listed. Lucroy would be a great addition behind the plate, while Moustakas or Frazier would provide assurance for a team that currently plans on having, Asdrubal Cabrera, as it's full-time third baseman.

Certainly, the gripping that the Mets fan base has given the team's front office has been merited to this point and General Manager, Sandy Anderson, should have pressure to do everything he can to give the team the best possible chance to play deep into the postseason again. Sometimes when a team, like the Mets, have a chance to make substantial upgrades, like the ones mentioned above, their ownership group needs to jump on those opportunities and provide excitement for the fan base.

After all, the fans are the ones that support the team, pay to see the team play at Citi Field on a regular basis, and yes, provide criticism when it is needed. While the criticism might be harsh, given the market conditions and lack of activity for the most part to this point for many teams, Mets fans have every right to be critical and put the pressure on the team's front office and ownership group to do what is right and make a big splash or two before Spring Training rolls around.