The New York Mets haven’t won a World Series since 1986, and haven’t been to one since 2015.
A lifelong Mets fan, Steve Cohen, took over as the owner of the team in late 2020.
He is a hedge fund manager and the richest owner in MLB.
That combination of events and situations has only once consequence: Cohen will do whatever it takes to deliver a World Series title for a hungry fan base.
He brought in several stars in his first offseason, including shortstop Francisco Lindor, and was very active in his second, the current one, before things were halted because of the lockout.
He signed outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha, infielder Eduardo Escobar, and the made the acquisition of the winter: future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer.
The Mets have formed a formidable one-two punch of Jacob deGrom and Scherzer, unquestionably the best in the game.
Two Game-Changing, Future Hall Of Fame Arms
Both are future Hall of Famers who have five Cy Young awards between the two (three Scherzer, two deGrom) and still dominated in 2021.
Per @EliasSports…
Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom will mark the 7th time multi-Cy Young Award winners will pitch for the same club in the same year. #Mets
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) December 1, 2021
deGrom suffered several health issues, most notably a partial tear of UCL (elbow) that “resolved itself”, yet was still able to pitch 92 innings of a minuscule, league-best 1.08 ERA.
Scherzer, on the other hand, divided his time between the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers this past season.
He finished with a 2.46 ERA in 179.1 frames, striking out 236 foes with his wicked stuff and demeanor.
Both are generational talents who will contribute around 350-400 innings of an ERA in the 2.00s if everything goes according to the Mets’ plan.
More importantly, having deGrom and Scherzer locked and loaded for a short postseason series is a huge advantage, and the Mets know it.
But is the rest of the roster in a position to compete, too?
It’s noteworthy that just as the Mets added the aforementioned pieces, they also lost several big ones.
Marcus Stroman, Noah Syndergaard, and Aaron Loup will be playing elsewhere in 2022, and Michael Conforto will likely follow the same path.
Do The Mets Have Enough?
Even with that being the case, the offense should not be a problem, with Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Lindor, Marte, Canha, Escobar, and Brandon Nimmo projecting as quality regulars.
The team will also welcome back Robinson Cano’s lefty bat, although it’s not clear if he will have a role.
The pitching staff, however, needs at least a couple extra starters and two or three additional relievers.
After deGrom and Scherzer, the Mets should have two quality mid-rotation starters in Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker.
The problem comes after those two.
Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Trevor Williams are certainly talented, but they are better as fifth or sixth arms in the organizational depth chart.
The Mets should bring in additional starting pitching via free agency or trade.
As for the bullpen, losing Loup is a huge blow.
New York should certainly entertain the possibility of signing relievers Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, or Aaron Bummer.
All in all, the Mets offseason is not done, and that’s a good thing because as things currently stand, they may not have enough to fully fight for the championship.
DeGrom and Scherzer is a great duo for the Mets. Still not enough for the defending NL East and World Champion Braves tho.
— AB (@Atlsports6) November 29, 2021
However, once the lockout ends, New York will surely bring in those upgrades, and only then, they will be in a good position to help deGrom and Scherzer fight for the trophy.
NEXT: MLB Insider Reveals Favorite For Mets Managerial Opening