I would trade for either Martin or Cervelli. While I'm not that big on "chemistry" per se, I don't know who the current 'team leader' is and it's usually a good idea to have some emotional leader that the rest of the team looks up to. Martin could be this team's David Ross (and also has 2 first names... just a coincidence, I don't know ). I mean, they could potentially keep him around for another year or two.

If it's Martin, they'd not only flip a salary like Frazier (or Vargas) back, but also get a player or two to even out the $ disparity. I prefer that then just getting $ to even it out. I like RHed hitting OFer Jonathan Davis who the Jays just added to their roster. I'll take Sam Gaviglio too as either SP or pen depth.

Then, I'd try and pick off Jace Fry (OSU teammate of Conforto's), LHed RPer from the ChiSox, perhaps using Dom &/or TDA. They just moved a catcher, so they could look to add one. Again, I'd be motivated to try and find "the next Andrew Miller" than pay top of the market for the real past his prime version.

And as much as I'd like to add Cutch, what would happen once Ces comes back? They'd have the same overcrowding they've been dealing with and need to once again sit Nimmo down. So, maaaybe Adam Jones on a 1 yr deal..?

As far as free agency, I'd try to use it to add a SPer (Gio? or Ervin Santana?) and another arm in the pen like Brach or Kelly or Soria or Rbtson (in ascending order of cost there).

And then maybe add a piece or two on the fringes like Pomeranz and Mercer (be good to throw a bone to a Boras client).

All in all, no big splashes but filling in the cracks across the board.

They really shouldn’t worry about Cespedes unless the reports they’re getting on his recovery are extremely positive. Better to have too many good hitters than not enough. Injuries and poor performance usually make those situations resolve themselves anyway.

I mean how great can the reports be this early? Even Brodie said second half so the Mets (who are always over the top optimistic about time frames) have him what... 7 months from playing? So how much could they possibly know? Not even being negative, just don't think they will have much of an idea for a while.

i’d be all over the Dodgers to trade for Puig. One year left. A stand in for Cespy. A corner if we trade one for Kluber. A CF when Laguares gets hurt So many possibilities and he won’t cost too much

It seems BVM is putting a premium on character guys, whether hypocritical or not, so I don't see this being one of the irons in the fire.

They could replace an outfielder pretty easily...reclamation guys abound. I think maybe that the payroll issues are now more evident to him.

I think maybe the smartest course at this point...
1. Trade for Cervelli, on the cheap, or just sign Grandal and be done with it. He's a great defender switch hitter and has pop.
2. Sign Miller. Need a lefty and he deepens the pen.
3. Look at Keon Broxton. He's imperfect, but young athletic and superfluous in Milwaukee.

Then sign a few reclamations on the cheap...maybe a starter.

Hate to trash a new Met... but his big addition is a PED guy who was known for loafing while being a member of the Yankees... hard to really know how highly he values "character".

That's why I said hypocritical possibly.

Cano may have had a bad rep early on but he has a sterling one now. Check out how the writers talk about him.

He’s huge with charities and believe he has a pediatric cancer wing named after him in one of the NYC hospitals. Very media friendly, etc.

He’s 100% considered a clubhouse plus and someone who is great with the media.

Awesome. Just run to first base and then we'll let bygones be bygones.

Maybe I am channelling my inner Sandy Alderson, but more than a few of these FAs make me nervous. There's a lot of age and injuries out there. I'd stay very far away from A J Pollock for example.

If possible, I'd rather they go the trade route: Hanhold, Guillorme and Nido to Toronto for Pillar; the Smiths (Drew and Dom) to SD for Hedges. I'd offer LA Lagares for Puig. If we could get both Hedges and Margot from the Friars for some combination of those six, I'd pull the trigger.

One big FA signing in the bullpen such as Miller, Robertson or Britton is probably worth the risk. That's a good back end of the bullpen with Diaz. Lugo and Gsell are good in the middle. Where I would be looking is deeper in the pen with some older starters. Guys like Gio or perhaps Jeremy Hellickson (if he is available later in the winter). These are guys who start in the pen and when the inevitable injury costs the big four a few starts it's a guy with 200+ ML starts taking his place instead of a Flexen, or an Oswalt or an Adam Wilk.

Go hard or go home. You push ownership to let you spend big, cause the excitement generated would make them the money needed to pay off the moves...

1. Harper with opt outs
2. Trade for Kluber
3. Issue a formal apology for the 2009 Billy Wagner trade, and all the trades where the Mets failed to kick in money to get better prospects in return. (You asked what I would do)