Way too early Mets 26-man roster prediction for 2024 season

The Mets are going to enter the 2024 season with far less fanfare than the 2023 team. But when taking into consideration the epic failure of their 2023 counterparts, that might not be a bad thing.

Yes, the offseason has been a relative snooze.

The Mets have added three arms to a starting rotation that will be paying Max Scherzer (who is out until at least midseason) and Justin Verlander a large chunk of money to play elsewhere.

New York also shored up its outfield with the addition of Harrison Bader. 

But aside from their incredibly serious pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto that came up empty, the Mets have stayed away from any names this offseason who would be considered a splash.

And when you peruse the list of free agents (those who have signed and the roughly 175 or so who are remarkably still on the market), it's understandable why the Mets -- who don't want to do anything this offseason to imperil their desire to build a sustainable winner -- are steering clear of deeply flawed players like the still-unsigned Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman.

For now, New York is taking a reserved approach -- one that will change to an aggressive one as early as this season's trade deadline and certainly by the time the 2024-25 free agent class is out there.

Still, the Mets need more reinforcements this offseason if they want to enter the season with a roster worthy of David Stearns' expectation of being a legitimate playoff contender.

With some of those reinforcements factored in, here is our way too early Mets 26-man roster prediction for the 2024 season...

REGULAR LINEUP

Francisco Alvarez: C
Pete Alonso: 1B
Jeff McNeil: 2B
Francisco Lindor: SS
Brett Baty: 3B
Brandon Nimmo: LF
Harrison Bader: CF
Starling Marte: RF
Mark Vientos: DH

The potentially season-ending ACL injury to Ronny Mauricio has turned an expected competition at third base (with Mauricio perhaps having a leg up) into a situation where it would be a surprise if Baty isn't the starter. And while Baty has a lot to prove after a very rough 2023, he's still just 24 years old -- and is a year removed from being viewed as the third baseman of the future.

In the outfield, it's clear what the alignment will be.

The Mets didn't give Bader $10.5 million to be a part-time player, so expect him to be starting most days. With Bader in center (he hasn't played a corner outfield spot since 2018), Nimmo will shift to left. The wild card here is Marte, who looks healthy in winter ball and has been productive there. Marte being back to his 2022 self (or even close to it) would be a game-changer for this lineup.

So, about that DH situation...

The Mets should add one. They should've added one before 2023. They should've added one before 2022. And it should be noted that Jorge Soler, J.D. Martinez, and Rhys Hoskins are all still free agents.

But since the inception of the DH in the National League, the Mets have gone patchwork with it, and it seems they're getting ready to do it again -- despite the fact that they can use some reliable thump in a lineup that is lacking in power and has a handful of question marks.

If the Mets do go internal at DH again, they should at least hand it to Vientos and let him sink or swim. There's no reason to play the righty/lefty platoon game with Vientos, especially since he can hit righties and has tremendous power.

STARTING ROTATION

Kodai Senga: RHP
Jose Quintana: LHP
Luis Severino: RHP
Sean Manaea: LHP
Adrian Houser: RHP

The Mets don't have a true ace. And with Senga serving as the No. 1 starter, they don't really have a No. 2 guy, either.

But the rotation, despite not being glitzy, should be serviceable.

Serviceable is of course not a word that will make Mets fans light up with joy, but that's simply the situation right now.

Senga, as noted, is not an ace. But he has terrific stuff and will give the Mets a strong chance to win every time he takes the ball. Quintana and Manaea should both be around league average with a chance for a bit more, and Houser profiles as a solid No. 5.

The game-changer here could be Severino, who is just 29 years old and still features the same high-octane fastball that helped make him an ace-upside pitcher from 2017 to 2022.

If Severino can stay healthy, it's a safe bet that he'll put the struggles of 2023 behind him and again be a high-upside arm. But Severino staying healthy is far from a sure thing.

The depth behind the top five starters is strong, with Tylor Megill and Jose Butto having big league experience, and Christian Scott and Mike Vasil close to big-league-ready.

BULLPEN

Edwin Diaz: CLS
Brooks Raley: LHP
Ryne Stanek: RHP
Wandy Peralta: LHP
Drew Smith: RHP
Jorge Lopez: RHP
Yohan Ramirez: RHP
Michael Tonkin: RHP

Ahead of 2023 spring training, the Mets had Diaz, David Robertson, and Adam Ottavino anchoring this unit.

Though Diaz is back from the freak injury he suffered at last year's World Baseball Classic, the bullpen -- as of now -- lacks a legitimate setup man and is full of unproven pitchers. And that's a serious problem for a team that's aiming to contend.

Stearns has peppered the roster with lottery ticket relievers this offseason on split deals and/or minor league deals with spring training invites. And that's fine. Depth is needed. Options are needed. But the Mets also need two more legitimate relievers who can pitch in the late innings.

There are a bevy of quality relievers still on the free agent market, and the Mets must pounce. The prediction here is that they'll ink the hard-throwing righty Stanek and the lefty Peralta to help form a bridge to Diaz.

Meanwhile, Raley, Smith, and Lopez are locks for the Opening Day roster.

Beyond that, it will come down to the Mets picking one or two pitchers from a huge group that includes Ramirez, Tonkin, Sean-Reid Foley, Phil Bickford, Josh Walker, and others.

BENCH

Joey Wendle: INF
Tyrone Taylor: OF
Tomas Nido: C
DJ Stewart: DH/OF

Wendle (signed as a free agent) and Taylor (acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the deal that also brought Houser to New York) are locks for the bench.

Stewart would be a solid bench piece even if the Mets add a DH or turn to Vientos there. He has the ability to play right field, and would be a good option as a lefty bat with power.

Nido isn't on the 40-man roster and is currently blocked by current backup Omar Narvaez. But the guess here is that Narvaez will get traded before the season, clearing the way for Nido to be the backup for Alvarez.