After thrilling season ends in NLCS, surprising Mets have `work to do'

NEW YORK (AP) — Yes, the New York Mets have much to feel good about following a rousing run of unexpected success this season.

All those warm fuzzies were warranted.

Now, the cold reality: Pete Alonso’s uncertain future is far from the only priority this winter.

New York probably will have about a dozen free agents to replace — including Alonso — once contract options are decided, and the pitching staff is particularly thin at the moment.

“We might look extremely different," star shortstop Francisco Lindor said.

The good news is the Mets have an owner with deep pockets, an established core that has playoff experience — and perhaps more than $100 million coming off their payroll as they look to build on a surprise appearance in the National League Championship Series.

“We have everybody we need to make this work and finish the job,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.

What was projected as a transition season under rookie manager Carlos Mendoza and first-year president of baseball operations David Stearns, with an eye toward 2025, instead morphed from a 22-33 start into a thrilling October ride that finally ended Sunday two wins short of the World Series with a Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

New York pulled off a string of stirring comebacks under pressure and hit several clutch home runs, creating fond memories that will last forever.

“We became a family. And now we raised the bar," Mendoza said in Los Angeles. “Expectations now, this is what we should strive for every year, to be playing deep into October.”

To do that, owner Steve Cohen has holes to fill on the field.

They start of course with Alonso, the fan-favorite first baseman who was drafted by the Mets in 2016 and already ranks third on the franchise list with 226 career homers in six major league seasons — one that was shortened by the pandemic.

The four-time All-Star, who played in all 175 games for New York this year, delivered in October with a pair of three-run homers to help win elimination games and finished the postseason with four homers, 10 RBIs and a .999 OPS.

“I want more moments like this,” Alonso said. “I'm really proud of what I was able to accomplish here. I feel like I laid it out there every day.”

Alonso, who turns 30 in December, is represented by agent Scott Boras, who often likes to test the market with high-profile clients.

It's difficult to forecast exactly what kind of contract Alonso will get this offseason, but he would seem a good fit for several potential suitors — including the Astros, Cubs, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox and Yankees.

Cohen and the Mets might be more focused on an even bigger free agent fish, outfielder Juan Soto. Or perhaps New York will end up retaining Alonso the same way it did Nimmo and closer Edwin Díaz after the 2022 playoff season.

If not, the Mets could move young slugger Mark Vientos from third base to first and give Brett Baty another shot at third. Touted prospect Ronny Mauricio, who debuted in 2023 before missing this season with a knee injury, also could be in the mix.

New York needs a designated hitter, because Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez can become free agents. Rookie speedster Luisangel Acuña could challenge for playing time at second base, where Jeff McNeil is coming off a rocky season, or in center field, where Tyrone Taylor is eligible for arbitration and Harrison Bader hits free agency again.

The bullpen must be largely rebuilt in front of Díaz, while the late-season rotation probably returns only David Peterson (10-3, 2.90 ERA) and Tylor Megill (4-5, 4.04). Kodai Senga, the team's projected No. 1 starter this season, hopes to regain his All-Star form after pitching only 10 1/3 innings all year due to shoulder, calf and triceps injuries.

“This year has been a frustrating year,” Senga said through a translator. “This offseason I’ll have to look at a lot of things one by one, because post-rehab coming back, things just didn’t click the same way that it did. That’s a fact. In order to get my performance back up, I’ll need to go over this offseason and re-examine things one by one.”

Sean Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA), who blossomed into the staff ace during the second half of a breakout season, shed tears of pride in his close-knit Mets during a clubhouse interview following the season-ending loss.

Still, the big left-hander seems likely to decline a $13.5 million player option for 2025. That would make Manaea, Luis Severino (11-7, 3.91) and Jose Quintana (10-10, 3.75) all free agents. The veteran trio combined for 94 regular-season starts and 10 more in the playoffs.

“If I was an agent, I would be very happy. They made themselves a lot of money. As a teammate, it’s going to be tough because they made themselves a lot of money and who knows where they’ll end up?” Lindor said, referring specifically to Manaea and Alonso. “They’re my brothers. I wish them nothing but the best, and hopefully they maximize everything they want.”

Jose Buttó (7-3, 2.55 ERA, three saves), converted from a starter into a valuable reliever this season, could move back into the rotation.

Top pitching prospect Christian Scott is expected to miss 2025 following Tommy John surgery, and Brandon Sproat is about the only highly touted arm in the upper levels of the farm system.

Stearns, however, has been especially adept at cobbling together quality pitching staffs, not only this season with the Mets but dating to his time running the small-budget Milwaukee Brewers.

Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell are top-of-the-rotation starters available on the free agent market.

“We already have a culture here. We set a precedent," Lindor said. “If you come here to this organization, you’ve got to work. You’ve got to work, you’ve got to respect everybody, and you’re going to be held accountable for every action.”

In the fourth season after Cohen bought the Mets from the Wilpon family, New York led the major leagues with a $332 million payroll and is in line to pay a $96 million luxury tax.

The blueprint since Cohen arrived has been the Dodgers, a perennial winner in a huge media market with a large payroll but also a deep enough farm system to overcome significant injuries.

The resilient Mets looked those injury-depleted Dodgers in the eye during the NLCS and got blown out four times in six games, outscored 46-26 overall while setting a postseason record by issuing 42 walks in the series.

“That should be our goal — not only to be like them, but better than them,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got work to do.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb