Will This Be An Offseason Of Change For The Mets?

As the days slip by and the World Series draws near, so too does the official start to the offseason. It's at that time that things should begin to pick up and the 2014 New York Mets will start to take shape. First and foremost, the Mets will have to make decisions regarding their 40-man roster and who. will or won't be protected in the Rule 5 draft. Then, all eyes turn to acquisitions.

It appears for the first time in years, we will spend more time discussing what players the Mets will pay, than we will discussing what creditors they'll repay. Although not out of the woods completely with regards to SNY and Citi Field debt, the Mets will have substantial funds to work with this winter. Despite the much discussed reality that it is unlikely the team will immediately reinvest the full $50 million coming off the books, fans should have cautious optimism that the 2014 edition will be a much improved bunch.

With payroll at their disposal, the Mets needn't shy away from trading for any particular players either. The fact that Carlos Gonzalez will soon make $20 million annually shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. Neither should the contracts of guys like Jose Bautista, should hecome available. Simply put, the only restrictions the Mets have this winter are those they impress upon themselves. 

Therein lies the hesitation for some Mets' faithful, who remain unimpressed by the organization's new found thriftiness over the Alderson era. Will the team bring in quality additions, or will it be more of the reclamation projects we've become accustomed to? While the successes of players like Marlon Byrd are always welcomed, it would be nice to enter the season with some more concrete expectations. 

So here we go, off into what could be either a wild winter renovation or the fan base's biggest disappointment yet. The options are almost as unlimited as the debate has been to date on whether this when the Mets finally turn it around. So will the team be active in the higher end of the free agent market?  Will Sandy Alderson have the guts to trade away some off the farm system depth he's spent three years cultivating?  Will fans finally have reason to be excited in 2014? Only time will tell...