Make sure to read our NL East Preview of the Philadelphia Phillies

During the offseason, the Mets signed relievers Aaron Loup and Trevor May, catcher James McCann, outfielders Albert Almora and Jose Martinez and utility man Jonathan Villar.  They also traded for left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi from the Pittsburgh Pirates and, in a blockbuster trade, acquired shortstop Francisco Lindor and right-handed starter Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians.

Not only were the Mets busy adding players on the field, but during the offseason, investor Steve Cohen took ownership of the team. Cohen brought back Sandy Alderson to serve as team president and then hired Jared Porter to be general manager before having to dismiss him just 37 days later when it was revealed he sexually harassed a female reporter in 2016. Assistant GM Zack Scott was named as Porter's replacement.

Besides that drama, the Mets were also connected to almost every free agent this offseason and were rumored to be among the finalists for 2020 NL Cy Young Award Winner Trevor Bauer.

To say that their front office was busy this offseason is a complete understatement.

Now that spring training is less than a month away, it's time to look at how these signings and trades will affect the team.

Pitching

This offseason, it looks like Cohen and Co.  really focused on improving the pitching rotation and adding an abundance of veteran bullpen arms.

Maybe the Mets are taking a page from the Nationals playbook and increasing their pitching depth.

Heading toward Wednesday's report date for pitchers and catchers in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the Mets have veteran bullpen arms in Edwin Diaz, Trevor May, Aaron Loup, Miguel Castro, Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, who was used as a starter last season. They also have former closers Jeurys Familia and Dellin Betances for now.  As recently as Thursday afternoon, a report from the New York Post indicated that the front office may be "shopping Jeurys Familia and Dellin Betances, according to an industry source, which would create roster flexibility while shedding big contracts. Familia is due $11.67 million in this final year of his contract. Betances is owed $6 million for this season."

Even though they will be without Noah Syndergaard at the start of the season, the Mets have a strong starting staff. Syndergaard missed all of the shortened 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John on his pitching elbow, but is expected to be back as early as this June. As of now, according to RotoChamp.com, their projected 2021 starting rotation, looks like this:

1. Jacob deGrom
2. Carlos Carrasco
3. Marcus Stroman
4. David Peterson
5. Joey Lucchesi

As of now, the New York Met Bullpen includes:

1. Closer - Edwin Diaz
2. Setup - Miguel Castro
3. Setup - Trevor May
4. Relief pitchers:
5. Seth Lugo
6. Jeurys Familia
7. Aaron Loup
8. Jacob Barnes
9. Dellin Betances
10. Stephen Tarpley
11. Sean Reid-Foley

As currently composed, the New York Mets' pitching staff is going to be very impressive, and Mets fans have a lot to be excited about provided they aren't hit by the injury bug again this season.

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Infield and Batting

The Mets not only improved their pitching but also enhanced the infield and batting by trading for shortstop Franciso Lindor, who has won two Gold Gloves, two Silver Slugger awards and played in four All-Star games in just six seasons with the Cleveland Indians. They also signed all-star catcher James McCann to a four-year contract worth $40 million. In 2020, as the catcher for the Chicago White Sox, the 30-year-old had a career-best .289/.360 slash line with seven home runs and 15 RBI over 31 games. As if that wasn't enough, they also improved their depth with the additions of Amora, Villar and Martinez.

(Related Article: Are the New York Mets the Team to Beat in the NL East?)

Overall, the New York Mets have been smart about improving their pitching rotation and upgrading key positions. Their moves this offseason were rewarded by Baseball Prospectus' PECOTA projections, ranking the Mets on top of the NL East for 2021.

Since this is a Washington Nationals focused website, let's look at the Mets from a Nationals perspective...

Nationals View

If recent history indicates how the New York Mets are going to perform, it is anyone's guess. While the Mets might have "won the offseason," that is meaningless unless they can perform up to expectations and avoid the types of injuries that have marred their recent seasons. If the Mets can do this, the Washington Nationals will have a challenge every time they play them.

The New York Mets made some serious steps this past offseason and started to act like a big market team. Will it be enough to win the division or secure a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2016? No one knows, but no matter what, the NL East will be a lot of fun to watch this season.

Edited by: Jonathan Mailloux