5 stars Mets could target via trade during 2023-24 MLB offseason

The Mets, despite an incredibly disappointing 2023 season, have a path back to contention in 2024.

The cleanest way for them to seriously improve this offseason without damaging their goal of long-term sustainability is to focus on free agency, but they should also be exploring the trade market.

While there are several impact free agents who are close to perfect fits for the Mets -- with 25-year-old Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto among them -- there will likely also be a handful of tantalizing players available via trade.

And regarding potential trades, the Mets will likely be looking to strike a difficult balance.

With a farm system that is one of the best in the sport when it comes to high-impact position players who are close to the majors, New York can be in the mix for most of the big names available via trade.

But if the Mets go down that road, they must draw a line in the sand regarding the type of package they're comfortable parting with. That should mean being willing to build a trade around one of their most highly thought of prospects, but not two of them.

Now, here are five stars the Mets could target this offseason via trade...

Dylan Cease, White Sox RHP

In the midst of an abysmal season where they finished with a record of 61-101, the White Sox dealt a ton of key players at the 2023 trade deadline, including Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, and Kendall Graveman.

Giolito was a few months from free agency and Lynn's contract contains a club option for 2024, while Graveman was under team control through 2024.

Cease, who is entering his age-28 season, is under team control through 2025. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball in 2022 after a strong 2021 campaign, but regressed in 2023 while posting a 4.58 ERA.

A look at Cease's advanced stats shows that he remained elite when it came to his whiff rate, strikeout rate, and ability to prevent hitters from barreling the ball up -- so he could be due for a nice bounce back next season. And the Mets need serious reinforcements for their rotation.

Chicago will put a very high price on Cease. And despite the fact that they're likely looking at a rebuilding year, they don't have to rush to deal him. They could perhaps hope he returns to form during the first half of next season and move him at that point.

David Bednar, Pirates closer

In addition to adding multiple pitchers to the rotation, the Mets also have to add some legitimate late-inning arms to a bullpen that will have Edwin Diaz back, but is lacking elsewhere.

Bednar, whose name has been floating around in trade rumors for a while, would be a fantastic acquisition. But he'll also be very expensive to acquire since he's under team control through 2026 and making next to nothing -- he earned just $745,000 in 2023, and will get a raise via arbitration this offseason.

The 29-year-old has been one of the best and most dominant relievers in baseball over the last three seasons, with a 2.25 ERA (2.56 FIP) and 1.06 WHIP with 226 strikeouts (11.3 per nine) in 179.2 innings over 172 appearances.

Pairing Diaz with Bednar would give the Mets the best 1-2 punch in baseball. But as is noted above, it will be expensive.

Tyler Glasnow, Rays RHP

Glasnow's name hasn't been as front and center as the pitcher who we will discuss in a bit.

Part of that is because he pitches in relative obscurity with the Rays, and part of it is because he missed almost the entire 2022 season and the first two months of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

When Glasnow returned, he did so with fastball velocity that was right around his career norm (an average of 96.4 mph), continued to strike out batters at a prolific rate (12.2 per nine), and had advanced numbers that were mostly elite.

Since coming into his own in 2019 during his age-25 season, Glasnow has posted a 3.03 ERA (2.89 FIP) and 1.01 WHIP with 462 strikeouts (12.5 per nine) over 332.2 innings.

An issue has been Glasnow's availability, but with a reconstructed UCL, perhaps his injury troubles are in the past. And with Glasnow set for free agency after the 2024 season and the cost-conscious Rays unlikely to extend him, he could be on the move soon.

Juan Soto, Padres OF

Soto is entering his age-25 season, and is someone all 30 teams would be lucky to have. But when you factor in the trade package it will take, the money he's set to earn in 2024 during his final year of arbitration, and the enormous extension it will take to keep him, there are really only a handful of teams that can trade for him and extend him.

The Mets are among them, and are in dire need of more offensive punch, so there could be a fit here. But is now the time to pounce on this kind of move?

With Soto a year from free agency, the Mets would have to be sure of their ability to extend him if they were to deal for him.

If the Mets are able to pry Soto from the Padres for a deal centered around just one of Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert, or Jett Williams, and none of their other most highly thought of prospects who have either already reached the majors or are close, they should go for it. But it's hard to see that happening.

Corbin Burnes, Brewers RHP

With Burnes a year from free agency and the Brewers probably unable to ink him long-term, they really should be looking to trade him.

And of all the players possibly available this offseason, Burnes -- who will be entering his age-29 season in 2024 -- is arguably the best fit for the Mets.

Over the last four seasons, Burnes -- who led the majors in ERA in 2021 and who has made at least 28 starts each of the last three seasons -- has a 2.86 ERA (2.84 FIP) and 0.99 WHIP with 765 strikeouts over 622.1 innings.

One potential concern is Burnes' declining strikeout rate (12.6 in 2021, 10.8 in 2022, and 9.3 in 2023) and rising walk rate (1.8 in 2021, 2.3 in 2022, and 3.1 in 2023), but his stuff remained elite in 2023 with his arsenal ranking near the top of the league in terms of run value.

The fact that Burnes' co-ace Brandon Woodruff will almost certainly miss all of 2024 after undergoing shoulder surgery should really motivate Milwaukee to get what they can for Burnes and look toward the future. But they could also hold him and try to contend in the weak NL Central.