Brown: Mets Still Have Important Moves To Make This Winter 

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Dellin Betances was a really nice holiday gift for Mets fans. General manager Brodie Van Wagenen added one of the top relief pitchers on the market to a bullpen that so desperately needed a veteran, established arm. 

But the man who somehow owns no sweatpants still has work to do this winter. 

This team is banking that Edwin Diaz will return to his dominant 2018 form. The same goes for Jeurys Familia. Both of them were nothing short of a train wreck in 2019. You can point to Diaz’s struggles alone as a big reason why the team fell short of the playoffs. While it’s almost impossible to imagine the Mets being worse in 2020, they are still counting on the two relievers to be terrific in order for the team to be successful. 

You’re also banking on Betances coming back strong from a partial tear in his left Achilles tendon that he suffered in September. That came after missing most of the season with shoulder and lat injuries. He didn’t even pitch a full inning in 2019. The 31-year-old made four straight All-Star teams with the Yankees from 2014-2017. He had a 1.40 ERA in 2014 and 1.50 ERA in 2015. He’s got a career 2.36 ERA. Betances’ stats are off the charts when he’s healthy. The expectation is that he returns to All-Star form, but how could anyone know for certain? There are a lot of “ifs” here with Betances, Diaz and Familia. 

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On paper, those three guys, mixed with Seth Lugo, Justin Wilson, Robert Gsellman and Michael Wacha look good. But just remember this: Wacha has been a starter for the majority of his career and he’s coming off his worst seasons. Gsellman is coming off one of his worst seasons and battled through injuries. Wilson dealt with injuries the first half of the season. Lugo was the only consistent bright spot all year for the bullpen. The Mets are putting a lot of stock into guys staying healthy and returning to old form.

Go Get Another Arm

These reasons are exactly why the search for another proven reliever should not be over. The Mets have to go out and get another arm, whether it’s in free agency or via trade. It would make a whole lot of sense to add at least one of these remaining free agent relievers: Steve Cishek, Brandon Kintzler, Will Harris or Daniel Hudson. All of those guys could end up asking for multiyear deals. If the Mets want to go with someone who may cost less and, at 39, would take a one-year deal, Pat Neshek would make sense. The side-armed righty is coming off an injury-plagued year with the Phillies but has a 2.82 career ERA in 13 seasons.

Find An Actual Big-League Backup Catcher 

The Mets finally found themselves a catcher who can hit in Wilson Ramos. The problem is he isn’t the greatest defensively. This team has lacked a good backup catcher for what seems like forever. Todd Pratt was really the last great Mets backup that you could trust behind the plate and at the dish — and that was two decades ago. This team should not be going into 2020 with Tomas Nido and his .191 average as their backup. Go get someone you can rely on to play twice a week and take over for Ramos if he gets hurt. There are still some solid backup options out there in free agency. Jason Castro, Robinson Chirinos and Matt Wieters all make sense and wouldn’t cost the Mets more than around $5 million or so. They have got to address this soon. 

As I wrote a few weeks ago, the Mets should still have their eyes on Starling Marte. It seems like the Pirates want some prospects in return for the center fielder. Marte makes all the sense for the Mets to get, especially if they don’t have to trade Brandon Nimmo in exchange for him. While Nimmo is a great clubhouse guy, gets on base and scores runs, he’s just not a terrific defensive option in center. He has a terrible arm, and he’s more suited for the corners. Those spots are taken by Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes (if healthy), along with J.D. Davis. The Mets have Jeff McNeil as well, who can also play both corner outfield spots, especially if the Mets do end up keeping Jed Lowrie and he sees any time at third base. Nimmo and Jake Marisnick in center field is a bit underwhelming. 

An outfield consisting of a trio of Cespedes, Marte  Conforto and, with Nimmo, Davis and Marisnick right behind them, would give the Mets an incredible amount of depth. With all the injuries this team has endured in the past, having extra guys off the bench is essential. It gives them the chance to give guys days off, mix and match against pitchers, and put better defenders in late in games. Getting another outfielder and potentially a backup infielder should also be on the Mets’ radar before spring training. 

Betances was a big-boy move, but this team should not be satisfied yet. Completing the roster is what will push the Mets from a playoff contender to a championship contender. After that happens, then you can go buy that much-needed pair of sweatpants, Brodie.