Nimmo, Alonso, Diaz, and McNeil were all losses that obviously didn’t go over too well with the Mets fan base. Those four were considered the “core” of the Mets and the entire lot of them was summarily dismissed. But the reality is that the core, while all pretty much fan favorites, was losing its value.

Nimmo would be 33 years old and had already been down trending. His performance, while yielding a few more home runs, saw a tremendous drop in his forte which was getting on base. Both his batting average and on base percentage (which had usually been around the .400 mark) took a deep dive. And his fielding, after having improved enough to be a decent centerfielder, went in the complete opposite direction to the point where he was not even an acceptable left fielder.

McNeil would be 34 years old and other than two good seasons when he hit .318 with 23 homers and 75 RBI in 2019 and won the batting title with a .326 average in 2022, he was pedestrian at best. McNeil’s value was as a super utility player who could play both infield and outfield seamlessly. And perhaps he could have continued to do that at 34 years old. But his actions of throwing his helmet and some mental mistakes on the field made the act really old.

Diaz would be 32 years old and fans conveniently forgot how frustrated they would get with him and his failures. Until, that is, 2022, when he had a year that made him seem immortal. Every player prays for a year like Diaz had in 2022. It made him a folk hero. But then came the devastating injury prior to the 2023 season which cost him the entire year, and then continued to affect his delivery and he lost that domination. He has still been good, but that edge is no longer there. And relief pitchers are especially a crap shoot because you never know how they are going to perform. Given the ongoing effects of the injury and ongoing increase in age, Diaz was a risk…risk worth taking, but apparently he wanted to go elsewhere.

Alonso would be 31 years old and undoubtedly has a lot of power left in him. But if the Mets were one player away from a championship team, then you can rightfully plug him in somewhere because any deficiencies – perceived or real – would be covered up. But the Mets were already a poorly constructed team with too many one-dimensional players. Alonso would hit more home runs but at what cost? He is a sentimental favorite but then so was Darryl Strawberry. He, too, walked away for a better contract. And that didn’t turn out so well. Alonso could have been viewed like David Wright…the home grown kid with the big bat. But the David Wright contract also didn’t turn out well.

The main guys coming in are Robert, Jr., Semien, Williams, Polanco, Bichette, and Peralta.

Robert, Jr. is going to be 28 years old. He is an exceptional centerfielder who covers a lot of ground. He is a career .259 hitter whose best season was 2023 when he hit 38 home runs with 80 RBI and was an American League All Star. He has had two consecutive seasons where he played only 100 and 110 games respectively, but still hit 14 home runs and stole 23 and 33 bases. So he has speed and pop and he is still under 30 years old. After having played for the woeful Chisox for the last several seasons, playing for the Mets may elevate him back to his 2023 status.

Semien is going to be 35 years old during the season, so while he was an outstanding player for a number of seasons with Oakland, Toronto, and Texas, his best days are clearly behind him. He is the one player whose acquisition makes little sense other than a swap (for Nimmo) of unfavorable contracts. The one thing that remains with Semien – well as of last season at least – is that he still has the agility and speed he has always possessed. This is a guy who once hit 45 HR for Toronto (in 2021). He is a three-time AL All Star and two-time Gold Glove winner at second base. But how much he has left is anyone’s guess.

Williams is going to be 31 years old, just a year younger than Diaz. But Williams didn’t suffer the injury that Diaz suffered. And he was, of course, a lot cheaper. Not that that is the be all and end all. But the risk-reward would APPEAR to be a lot better for the Mets with Williams. Williams has pitched to a career ERA of 2.45, a WHIP of 1.045, and has averaged 14.1 strikeouts and 4.1 walks over seven seasons. Diaz has pitched to a 2.85 ERA, a WHIP of 1.036, and has averaged 14.5 strikeouts and 3.2 walks over nine seasons. So if it could very well be that the Mets are getting what is possibly a younger version of Diaz…minus the trumpets?

Polanco is going to be 32 years old. He has been a versatile middle infielder who has maintained a steady bat for years with the Minnesota Twins and the last two with the Seattle Mariners.  Like Semien, this was a confusing signing. Polanco was a shortstop who moved to second base. He has never (well one game) played first base. So why did the Mets sign him to play first base? His versatility as a middle infielder is great insurance to back up Lindor and Semien (if he is the everyday second baseman). But while he is still a good player at 32 years old, this is a head-scratcher. The Mets needed more outfielders not another infielder playing out of position?

Bichette is going to be 28 years old. He is a solid hitter with extra base power. He puts the bat on the ball and led the American League in base hits two consecutive years (2021 and 2022). While spending most of his time at shortstop for the Blue Jays, it was his lack of range that troubled Toronto, which had them considering his move to second base. The move to third by the Mets should be seamless. Although, the name Jim Fregosi is ringing in my head. The difference is that Fregosi was nowhere NEAR the hitter Bichette is and nowhere near as athletic. Time will tell but the odds are that Bichette will prove to be the right handed bat the Mets have been looking for.

Peralta is going to be 30 years old and is coming off his best season in the Majors with the Brewers with a 17-6 record and pitching to an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 1.075, averaging 10.4 strikeouts and 3.4 walks per nine innings. Peralta is a hard-thrower with good movement. He has taken some time to get it all together. He could be a top of the rotation pitcher or…he could end up being another guy brought it as a hopeful. But that is not the only issue. The trade of Brandon Sproat AND Jett Williams will only turn out well if…IF…Peralta has a good season AND the Mets can re-sign him to a long-term contract.

Stearns has repeatedly said that the goal is to get younger and more athletic. The Mets got a tad younger and definitely became more versatile if not more athletic. How that translates into more wins on the field is anyone’s guess. The Hot Stove League is always great fodder for fans and media. But it’s the regular season that will tell whether the comings were better than the goings this off season.