The Mets think "they have ability" to add pitching help this offseason, which could mean a free agent reliever such as Dellin Betances, perhaps another reliever in addition to a Betances-type, and a back of the rotation starting pitcher, reports SNY's Andy Martino.
Martino adds that Betances currently has multiyear and one-year opportunities.
Brodie Van Wagenen spent much of his media availability on Monday night at the Winter Meetings talking about the potential of adding depth to the roster, and was coy when it came to exactly what the Mets could or would allocate to each area of need.
That the Mets have the ability to add a reliever with the upside of Betances plus potentially another reliever and also fill their need in the rotation should come as a welcome sound to Mets fans' ears.
There is also still the potential of them swinging a trade for Pirates CF Starling Marte.
The Mets' main priority right now, though, should be the bullpen. Aside from Betances, Blake Treinen, Will Harris, Kevin Gausman, and Joe Smith are other free agent relievers who could intrigue them.
When it comes to the starting rotation, Martino has linked the Mets to Rick Porcello, who had a down year in Boston in 2019. MetsBlog's Matthew Cerrone reported last week that there was mutual interest between the Mets and Porcello.
During his scrum on Monday night, Van Wagenen was asked if the Mets would be able to exceed the luxury tax in 2020 if necessary. His answer, as was the case the last time he was asked, was short on specifics.
But if the Mets were to add a reliever of Betances' caliber, another free agent reliever, and a legitimate back-end starting pitcher, the odds of them surpassing the $208 million luxury tax threshold would rise substantially.
In order to potentially stay under (or get back under) the threshold, the Mets could possibly trade Jed Lowrie or Jeurys Familia.