The New York Mets have finally decided to concentrate on recruiting veterans to short-term contracts instead of making their big signing.

The New York Mets missed out on their splash signing, instead focusing on short-term deals with veterans.

Mets’ inability to get better leads to a low offseason grade.
The New York Mets passed on their big signing in favor of signing veterans to short-term contracts.

Rather than any of the New York Mets’ signings during the winter, it may be remembered more for one massive miss.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and their incredible offseason defeated the Mets despite their best efforts to chase Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Rather than making a major statement, New York instead left with a sequence of minor actions.

They did retool the people behind Jose Quintana by adding three new starters to their lineup.

They sent 23-year-old pitching prospect Coleman Crow to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for Adrian Houser and Tyrone Taylor. That was their first transaction.

Tyrone Taylor will be a reliable pinch hitter in the outfield off the bench, while Houser is a good starter for the back end of the rotation.

The other two new additions, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea, are both free agents who are looking to get back to their previous levels of performance.

Severino played with the opposing New York Yankees for his first eight seasons. That was a couple years ago; he was an All Star there twice. After a dismal 2023, his earned run average skyrocketed to 6.65, more than twice as high as it was the previous year. Right now,

Manaea agreed to a $28 million, two-year contract. Since departing the Oakland Athletics, the veteran left-hander has been traded to a few different teams, but he hasn’t been able to replicate his former career success. He did close 2023 out strongly, and the Mets are hoping he can repeat that kind of performance.