Mets to remain 'opportunistic' as offseason continues, will 'stay engaged' in bullpen market

So, what's next for the Mets?

During a Zoom news conference on Wednesday where the Mets officially introduced setup man David Peterson, left-handed starting pitcher Jose Quintana, and lefty reliever Brooks Raley, GM Billy Eppler was asked how much the Mets have left on their to do-list this offseason.

The Mets, whose biggest deals during the offseason have gone to Justin Verlander, Brandon Nimmo, and Kodai Senga, arguably remain in need of more punch in their lineup.

Additionally, the Mets can definitely use more certainty in a bullpen that as of now likely only contains four givens: Edwin Diaz, Robertson, Raley, and Drew Smith.

New York is clearly open to doing more big things, having been linked to Carlos Correa on Tuesday night before the star infielder signed a 13-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, and also being interested in J.D. Martinez and Michael Conforto -- with owner Steve Cohen reportedly wanting to add more offense.

"We have done a lot of lifting, had a very fortunate investment from Steve and Alex Cohen and this club," Eppler told reporters on Wednesday. "I know I've said it a number of times. I'll continue to say it. The commitment is very evident here, and the goals are very evident. 

"A lot of the heavy lifting is done. It doesn't stop us from being opportunistic. If there are acquisitions we can make -- whether it's in the trade market or if it's in free agency -- we still want to explore those. Always just keeping our antenna up, and once something presents itself, makes sense and is a worthwhile investment that can move our win projection or run scoring or run prevention. ... I'm gonna take that to Steve and gauge his thoughts on it.

"Just kind of remaining opportunistic is probably the best way to frame it and think about how we're gonna approach the next couple of months before we go to Florida."

Asked specifically if the Mets need more reinforcements in the bullpen, Eppler seemed to land on yes.

"There's still some interesting, talented players out there in the marketplace. I'll stay engaged there," Eppler explained. "Some of the moves that we've been able to make and even some preemptive ones -- whether it was the John Curtiss signing last year or the trade with the Marlins that brought over (Jeff) Brigham and Elieser (Hernandez).

"Having some of our players returning -- some of our young players that got to jump into the pool -- and some swam pretty well in the deep end last year. Having some of them returning and watching their maturation and see how they develop into 2023.

"Feel good about the group, and how it looks as a whole. Again, if there's things that present themselves that we think really help us on the run prevention side, we have to be open to it."