5 offseason questions the Mets must address

NEW YORK -- Now that the World Series is in the books, one of the more turbulent Mets summers in recent memory can give way to an intriguing offseason. Changes are sure to come to an 86-76 Mets team that finished three games out of a playoff spot. They could take many different forms.

At the outset of the offseason, here are five questions the Mets must answer:

1. Who’s the manager?
Shortly after the season, the Mets dismissed Mickey Callaway, who led them for two seasons. They engaged immediately in a search for Callaway’s replacement, interviewing more than a half-dozen candidates -- some of them multiple times -- over the course of several weeks. The Mets are still in the midst of that deliberate process, with options ranging from Carlos Beltrán to Eduardo Pérez and beyond.

Only after hiring Callaway’s replacement can the Mets fully move into the next phase of their winter.

UPDATE (11/1): The Mets have found their manager in Carlos Beltrán.

2. Who plays third base?
Todd Frazier is heading to free agency, unlikely to return, and there isn’t an obvious candidate to replace him. That doesn’t mean the Mets have a dearth of options. Splitting his time amongst four positions this season, Jeff McNeil posted his best defensive numbers at third base, though the Mets might have a greater need for him in the outfield. Jed Lowrie is also an option at third, but it will be difficult for the Mets to plan on him starting there considering he did not play a single defensive inning anywhere on the diamond this season.

It's possible the bulk of the reps could go to J.D. Davis, who played at third frequently in April and May but not at all in the final three months of the season. Although defensive metrics were not kind to Davis at third, there’s belief within the organization that he could improve significantly with more focused work at the position.

Most likely, McNeil, Lowrie and Davis will all see time at the hot corner in 2020. Given those options, the Mets are unlikely to invest in a free-agent third baseman.

3. How will the Mets fix their bullpen?
When asked what the Mets must do to improve in 2020, Callaway spoke most frequently about the bullpen, which finished 25th in the Majors with a 4.94 ERA. Much of that damage occurred during the first half of the season.

Fixing it will not be easy, as core members Edwin Díaz, Jeurys Familia, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Justin Wilson are all under contract for next season. Trading Díaz is not an option, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said last month, with Mets hopeful he can show significant improvement. But the other ways in which the bullpen can improve are limited. The Mets don’t have the starting-pitching depth necessary to convert someone to relief. (To the contrary, there’s a chance Lugo and/or Gsellman could start games next season.) They don’t have many big league-ready relievers in the pipeline, nor do they have the prospect capital necessary to trade for another impact arm. Free agency is an option, but that did not serve the Mets particularly well last winter.

Certainly, the Mets will find ways to add to their bullpen mix, but they’ll also be counting on significant improvements from Díaz and Familia.

4. What will the rotation look like?
Even including the bullpen, no part of the Mets’ roster seems more uncertain heading into the winter than their rotation. Jacob deGrom will be back, likely toting multiple National League Cy Young Awards, as will Steven Matz and midseason trade acquisition Marcus Stroman. Beyond those three, questions loom.

Noah Syndergaard has spent the past year dodging frequent trade rumors, which may continue to exist even though Van Wagenen insisted the Mets will not trade him. Odds are that the Mets won’t. Syndergaard is not easily replaceable.

The fifth member of the Mets’ rotation, Zack Wheeler, stands a good chance of leaving via free agency. The Mets likely will extend Wheeler a qualifying offer, which the right-hander will probably decline to test the open market for the first time in his career. Assuming he does, Wheeler will find plenty of competition for his services.

Beyond those five, the Mets feature little rotation depth -- a fact that existed this year, as well, but didn’t come into play as the team’s top six starters took the mound 154 times. That’s exceedingly rare -- the Mets aren’t likely to be as fortunate next year, so they must plan accordingly.

5. How far will the Mets go to construct a winner?
The Mets owe more than $120 million to eight players under guaranteed contracts, including Yoenis Céspedes and David Wright. (The team has cashed in insurance policies on those two, but because ownership has not historically reinvested the money recouped, that money counts.) Arbitration raises for eight other players could tack on close to $50 million more, meaning the Mets will have exceeded their 2019 Opening Day payroll by a significant margin before adding a single player via free agency.

There are ways to lower that number, most notably by trading Syndergaard, Díaz or someone else. But doing so would force the Mets to search for additional replacements. The bottom line: Their budget could have a significant effect on their ability to compete.