Most of the free agent focus swirling around the New York Mets has been about replacing Pete Alonso now that the first baseman has opted out of his current contract, and closer Edwin Diaz has also been mentioned as an opt out who’ll at least need a salary bump going forward.

But the Mets need to replace a couple of other important free agents. Outfielders Starling Marte and Cedric Mullen are also expected to depart, so replacements are on the to-do list of GM David Stearns, although Marte is mostly considered a DH.  

Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic examined their respective situations recently, and it’s worth taking a closer look at the points they made and the conclusions they drew. Marte was a productive role player who had a .745 OPS in 329 plate appearances, but Mullen was something of a disaster, hitting just .182 in 143 plate appearances. 

The internal options aren’t great. Tyrone Taylor profits as a role player, according to the two writers, and the Mets need defense in center field. Carson Benge is the prospect expected to provide it, but he’ll open the season in the minors, as will shortstop Jett Williams, who’s also been mentioned as a possible option. 

The external options are better, especially given how close Benge is to being a viable option. Other outfield options include Harrison Bader, Trent Grisham and possibly Cody Bollinger, with trade possibilities including the likes of outfielders Byron Buxton and Jarren Duran of the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox, respectively. 

Replacing Marte as the DH should be easier. There’s Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber if the Mets want to make yet another big free agent splash, and Mike Yastrzemski, Max Kepler and Austin Hays head a lengthy list of secondary possibilities. 

Money and competing teams will also be a factor, of course. The Mets already have that massive payroll, and spending at these two positions probably isn’t a priority going into the offseason. Revamping the pitching staff and improving the defense are the two priorities this offseason, and getting better in center field likely doesn’t mean trying to find a middle-outfield masher. 

It’s a bit of muddle, but then that’s the Mets offseason in a nutshell, too. The Mets are currently immersed in revamping their coaching staff, and that looks to be the priority now before the real offseason action begins in earnest.