The Mets have a lot of work to do this offseason, including rebuilding a starting rotation that will likely have only two returning members from 2023.
But among New York's biggest needs is finding a legitimate designated hitter.
Daniel Vogelbach, who is arbitration-eligible, remains on the 40-man roster for now. But it's very hard to see a scenario where he's tendered a contract.
To put it simply, for a team like the Mets that must add a number of starting-caliber players and rebuild its bench, having Vogelbach on the roster would be an impediment.
It stands to reason that David Stearns will have the above view, and that the Mets will be looking for a new DH this winter.
To fill the DH spot, they should turn to a free agent market where there are a number of potential fits, including these five players...
Shohei Ohtani
The Mets are one of a handful of teams that can afford Ohtani, but there are two enormous questions.
The first is whether the two-way star is willing to go from the West Coast to the East Coast after not considering any East Coast teams during his first foray into free agency.
If the answer to the first question is yes, the next question becomes whether it makes sense for the Mets (or any team, really) to allocate perhaps $500 million over the next 10 years to a hitter whose prowess is otherworldly, but will also be getting paid to pitch at a time when his future on the mound is in question following a second Tommy John-like surgery.
If Ohtani returns to the mound and is even an above average starter in 2025 and beyond, the mammoth contract he gets could be a relative bargain.
If he isn't able to be a plus on the mound anymore, he'll basically be a DH making roughly $45 million or $50 million a year.
J.D. Martinez
Martinez could be the cleanest fit, in terms of length of the contract he'll get, pedigree as a masher in the role, and the ability to crush both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.
Entering his age-36 season, it's likely that Martinez will require just a one-year deal, which would be perfect for a Mets team that is trending younger and likely aiming to not hand out multi-year deals to older players.
There is some injury risk with Martinez, who played in 113 games for the Dodgers in 2023. And he has dealt with back issues in the past.
But Martinez is coming off a terrific season where he slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 homers and 27 doubles, and would provide serious thump for a lineup in need of it.
Jorge Soler
It was a bit surprising when the Marlins opted not to extend the one-year qualifying offer to Soler, who has serious power potential, having blasted a career-high 48 homers in 2019 while with the Royals.
And the Marlins' penny-pinching as it relates to him will be the rest of the league's benefit, since Soler will not be attached to draft pick compensation -- something that is of extreme importance to the Mets.
