Mets' Winter Watch: From GM and manager news to free agency, what to know this offseason

David Stearns already had a lot on his plate when he became the Mets' first president of baseball operations on Oct. 2.

Stearns, who returned home after nearly a decade with the Brewers, was first tasked with hiring a manager after the team decided to go a different direction following Buck Showalter's two seasons at the helm. Then, three days later, came the news that Billy Eppler had resigned as the team's general manager amid a Major League Baseball investigation into his use of the injured list.

That sudden vacancy added another item to Stearns' to-do list. How quickly he might move to fill that gap is one of the biggest looming questions ahead of the Mets front office. Stearns served as Brewers' general manager for seven seasons between 2015 and 2022 and could now begin to make the important decisions on his own.

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Stearns' first steps toward trying to build the Mets into regular contenders will be watched closely. Some of the first major decisions about the construction of the team are coming up right around the corner.

Here are some dates to watch as the replenishment of the Mets' assets begins:

Conclusion of the World Series

The end of the World Series will signal the beginning of what figures to be an eventful offseason for the Mets. The latest possible date for the start of the offseason comes after the scheduled Game 7 on Nov. 4.

Players become free agents the day following the conclusion of the World Series, but the Mets only have one free agent in Carlos Carrasco, who is a long shot to sign after posting a 3-8 record with a 6.80 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 20 starts after the Mets picked up his $14 million club option ahead of 2023.

Options must be exercised within five days of the end of the World Series. The Mets have three notable players with options that may exercised. Adam Ottavino can choose to remain with the team for $6.75 million next season, while Omar Narvaez can do the same for $7 million in 2024.

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The Mets have a $6.5 million club option with Brooks Raley, who was arguably the team's most dependable reliever last season.

The manager opening will be looming over the completion of the 2023 season, as well.

Before the 2022 season, the Royals and White Sox each filled their manager openings before the final out was made, but Stearns has emphasized that he plans to "cast a wide net" of candidates. He could wait to interview possible candidates from some of the top teams in MLB.

Major League Baseball's general manager meetings occur between Nov. 7 and 9 in Scottsdale, Arizona, this year.

Non-tender deadline: Nov. 17

This is where things could start to get interesting for the Mets.

With a more inexperienced lineup, the Mets will have until this date to tender contracts to players on their 40-man roster.

Some of the interesting candidates whose inclusion may be up in the air include Daniel Vogelbach, DJ Stewart, Sean Reid-Foley, Elieser Hernandez and Tim Locastro, among others.

It will be up to Stearns and potentially a new general manager to assess which of the current Mets players are worth keeping on at what should be a reasonable cost.

MLB Winter Meetings: Dec. 4-7

The wheeling and dealing often begins to heat up around the MLB Winter Meetings, which will be held in Nashville this year.

Last season, Jacob deGrom stunningly departed for the Rangers before the meetings began and the Mets reacted by signing Justin Verlander on the opening day of the meetings.

This could be where the Mets look to make a major splash for the third straight season after they also landed Max Scherzer in December 2021.

The unquestioned top prospect will be two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who underwent elbow surgery in September, further clouding his candidacy and earning potential. The Mets may not have intentions of spending like they have the last two seasons, but Ohtani could be the exception.

The Mets are also likely to target a starting pitcher that they can slot in near the top of their rotation. Those possibilities are likely to include Aaron Nola, Blake Snell, Sonny Gray and Jordan Montgomery.

Another highly-sought-after name could be Japanese 25-year-old right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who would command a massive deal due to his age and penchant for controlling the strike zone, despite the unknown of how he would handle a westward transition.

Rule 5 Draft: Dec. 6

The Rule 5 Draft allows teams to select players who have not been added to a team's 40-man roster within five seasons if they were 18 years old or younger at the time of signing or four seasons if they were 19 years old or older.

The Mets have a pair of players, who they acquired at the trade deadline, that would need to be added to their roster to be protected.

Right-hander pitcher Justin Jarvis, who was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers for Mark Canha, and infielder Jeremiah Jackson, who was added in a deal from the Angels for Dominic Leone, each would need to be moved to the 40-man to avoid being open for selection.

Arbitration deadline: Jan. 12, 2023

The Mets have 16 players who are arbitration eligible ahead of the 2024 season.

The players and team must agree to a contract before exchanging salary numbers on this date. If no agreement is reached between the two parties, they would go in front of a panel of arbitrators to determine a salary for the season.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets: Dates to know, GM and manager search news for offseason