The New York Mets had a huge offseason last winter, but they whiffed on the postseason this year. The Cincinnati Reds made the postseason while the billion-dollar Mets didn’t.
As a result, the Mets need to be aggressive in the coming months if they want to avoid repeating this same disappointment next year. The Mets need to land a star pitcher or two this winter to join their starting rotation.
The Athletic’s Andy McCullough recently projected the Mets would sign international superstar pitcher Tatsuya Imai in free agency this winter. Jim Bowden of The Athletic also projected Imai would sign a massive $154 million deal this offseason.
“In the end, I suspect the Mets and Pete Alonso will find their way back to each other once again this winter, with a contract similar to the one from which Alonso just opted out,” McCullough wrote. “And I also suspect that president of baseball operations David Stearns will continue to use the trade market to improve his team’s defense, as he did by swapping outfielder Brandon Nimmo for second baseman Marcus Semien.
“Another way to improve run prevention: the acquisition of better pitching. Imai is entering his age-28 season, and demonstrated improved command during his final season in Nippon Professional Baseball.”
Imai recently vowed to bring down the Los Angeles Dodgers, which should be music to baseball fans’ ears. Some believed that he was likely going to sign with the Dodgers, but he’s seemingly crossed them off his list.
As a result, the Mets could win the bidding war for the Japanese superstar. The righty is one of the better international free agents over the last few years and would be a very welcome addition in Queens.
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