Five questions facing the Mets this offseason

Will New York Mets top Scherzer contract to re-sign Jacob deGrom?

The Mets have a very difficult question in front of them this winter. Can they give Jacob deGrom a contract that mirrors or exceeds the one they gave Max Scherzer last year? As one of the franchise’s greatest players, and one who is still a premier talent in the league, a pact that at least equals what Scherzer received is likely the starting point.

The ace was set to make $30 million next season, but he will be exercising his opt-out clause instead. Could deGrom accept a team-friendly raise? Possibly, but it will still likely be near $40 million annually. Paying two pitchers close to $90 million per year will be a tough pill to swallow. Especially with homegrown All-Stars Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil set to get big long-term deals in the near future.

The two-time Cy Young winner’s recent injury history is something for the organization to seriously consider, but nevertheless, there will be many other teams interested in deGrom’s services. This could be just like the Jose Reyes situation where the team passed on a massive new deal due to his injury history.

Luckily for New York, that decision ended up being the right one. However, deGrom easily could take his talents to Atlanta in 2023 and help them win another championship.

How will the Mets address woes at DH?

Despite making two trades to improve the DH spot at the deadline, the Mets did not get what they needed from the position in the second half of 2022. Daniel Vogelbach was a solid addition but is a platoon asset at best while Darin Ruf provided just seven RBI in 29 games down the stretch for the Mets. The team could go with a youth movement that includes prospects Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez. But that too has risks.

The organization can look to free agency to address the weakness, but the pickings are slim there this winter and may cost more than it’s worth. How they approach the problem will be something to watch in the offseason.

The threat of losing Edwin Diaz in free agency

Edwin Diaz had one of the best seasons a closer has had in team history. He became the player they hoped for when they traded for him and Robinson Cano before the 2019 season. Diaz is set to get a huge raise and will be in high demand around the league.

The Mets may have to surpass the $16 million per year Craig Kimbrel is making as the highest-paid closer. It could be argued the Mets need him more than deGrom since relief pitchers, and especially closers, have become so vital in the postseason. Don’t be shocked if Diaz gets double the $10 million he made this season wherever he ends up.

What will it cost to keep Brandon Nimmo long-term?

Brandon Nimmo isn’t an All-Star or a gold glove center fielder, but he has real value, especially to the Mets. He likely won't get an absurd pay increase as a free agent this winter, but getting double-digit millions is not out of the question. Is New York willing to pay $11 to $12 million a year if a .274 average, 16 home runs and 64 RBI is the peak of Nimmo’s talents?

It is another difficult question the team will have to answer, and with no big-time center field prospects on the horizon, the team may need to overpay to retain their homegrown on-base machine.

The Mets will have to rebuild their entire bullpen

Trevor May, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Trevor Williams and the aforementioned Diaz are all free agents this winter. That is a large chunk of a bullpen that was fairly good for the team this season. If the Mets have any chance of repeating their success in 2022 they can't backtrack on the improvements they made in a pen that has not been very reliable in recent seasons.

Along with aiming to retain most, if not al,l of those players, the Mets will also need to add to that group in ways they didn’t at the 2022 MLB trade deadline. Look for them to get into the bidding for impending free agents like Andrew Chafin, Brad Hand and even Kenley Jansen.