When the 2024 New York Mets offseason is looked at 10 years from now, the focus, understandably, will be on Juan Soto. He's the one who signed the richest contract in sports history. With that being said, though, president of baseball operations, David Stearns, made a slew of other moves that have contributed to the team's hot start in a big way.
The Mets lead the NL East with a 28-16 record and hold the third-best record in the majors. Even without Soto performing like a $765 million player so far (he's still been really good), and with guys like Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas not throwing a pitch yet, the Mets have looked like World Series contenders.
Again, a big reason why the Mets look as potent as they do has to do with the other players Stearns brought in. These four moves in particular stand out as brilliant in hindsight.
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4) Ryne Stanek has been mostly reliable in relief for the Mets
The Mets re-signing Ryne Stanek on a one-year, $4.5 million deal felt like a good move at the time, and it only looks better now.
The right-hander is tied for the team pitching lead with 19 appearances, has a 3.24 ERA in those outings. He had three straight somewhat unlucky hiccups in late April, but allowed just one run in his first 10 appearances, and has thrown six scoreless innings across six outings since. He has been mostly reliable for what's turned out to be a really formidable bullpen.
The key with Stanek is always his command. When he's throwing strikes, he's usually able to succeed thanks to his electric stuff. His 8.5 percent walk rate is well below his career mark of 11.6 percent, giving Mets fans reason to believe he's in for a good year. At just $4.5 million, he's been extremely productive at a very cheap price.
3) Griffin Canning has been everything the Mets could have hoped
The Mets took a major risk, signing Griffin Canning, the pitcher who gave up more earned runs than anyone in the American League last season, to a cheap one-year deal. It's safe to say it's worked out better than even the most optimistic Mets fan could have hoped.
The right-hander has a 2.36 ERA in eight starts and 42 innings of work. It'd be nice if he was able to give more length, but it's hard to complain about that when he has allowed one run or fewer in all but two of his starts. He's allowed two runs or fewer in all but one of his starts. Given all of this, it comes as no surprise that the Mets are 7-1 in his starts. Again, he's been brilliant.
The Mets have Canning throwing his best pitch, his slider, more than he ever has, and the results have followed. Assuming that trend continues, there's no reason to believe he can't, at the very least, be a strong mid-rotation arm for New York. At just a $4.25 million price tag, that's one of the biggest steals of the offseason.
2) Clay Holmes' transition to starting pitching has been smooth
The Mets took another calculated risk this past offseason, signing Clay Holmes and converting him into a starting pitcher. He came up as a starting pitcher, but broke out as a reliever with the New York Yankees. Moving him back to the rotation was a risk, but based on early results, a worthwhile one.
Holmes has a 3.14 ERA in nine starts and 48.2 innings of work this season for the Mets. He has gone at least six innings in four of his last five starts and has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but three of his outings. Walks have come back to bite him and elevate his pitch count at times, but for the most part, Holmes has been everything the Mets could've asked for and more as a starter.
There was reason to be concerned about this transition since Holmes was essentially a two-pitch pitcher in the Bronx, but his additions of a change-up and four-seamer have helped him immensely. His change-up in particular has generated a higher whiff rate than any of his other pitches.
Adding those pitches to his sinker and sweeper has made Holmes a really formidable starter. How many innings he has in him is a question worth asking, but for now, this signing looks like a slam dunk, especially at the three-year, $38 million cost.
1) Pete Alonso has proven himself and then some
The offseason-long stare-down finally came to an end in early February when Pete Alonso re-signed with the Mets on a two-year, $52 million deal. Alonso failed to get the lucrative long-term deal he was seeking, so he wound up settling for a short-term, high-AAV deal with an opt-out. That decision has paid off handsomely not only for Alonso, but for the Mets, who badly needed him.
Alonso has been New York's best hitter, leading the team in virtually every important offensive category while also being one of the most productive hitters in the game. He has always had an innate ability to drive in runs, but he has been as well-rounded at the plate as he's ever been, as his .311/.421/.584 slash line would suggest.
To put it simply, Alonso has carried this Mets offense. He might not be Aaron Judge, but he's as good as it gets in the non-Judge division when it comes to protecting Juan Soto. Whether Alonso will stick around long-term remains to be seen, but Mets fans are enjoying watching him prove himself on a nightly basis.