How the Mets can spend, trade or rethink their way to an upgraded pitching staff

Carlos Rodon, Yusei Kikuchi and Andrew Miller.
Getty Photos (2); AP

What has 5 Cy Youngs and nonetheless wants pitching?

When you answered the Mets’ workers, you progress to the lightning spherical.

The Mets might be targeted on pitching when the lockout ends — cue the labor-logjam snort monitor. They do have positional wants. For instance, they may use, at minimal, a defensive-minded fourth outfielder (Brett Gardner, anybody?) and one other versatile bat, particularly if some mixture of J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil and Dom Smith exit the door.

However these are secondary issues. The Mets might line up with their present positional group and really feel consultant — or higher. The “higher” half could be if McNeil and Smith hit extra like they did in 2020 than they did in 2021 — and the identical for the returning Robinson Cano.