David Stearns on Mets’ 2024 rotation, lineup, bullpen

NEW YORK — The Mets aren’t committed to hunting major offensive upgrades. They may or may not still add to their rotation in a meaningful way. But they certainly continue to seek bullpen help.

These were the major takeaways from a question-and-answer session Wednesday with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, who participated in a Zoom call to introduce recent signings Luis Severino and Harrison Bader. Those two typify the Mets’ strategy this winter, which has been to sign players to short-term deals that won’t hamstring the roster beyond 2024. It has resulted in a league-high payroll of around $320 million, but also a roster that’s not significantly improved on paper.

“There’s no perfect team, and we are not perfect in various segments of our roster,” Stearns said. “So we’re going to stay involved across the board.”

So how might Stearns attack the final month of the offseason? His thoughts on three areas:

Still, Stearns said, “I don’t think you’re ever finished, especially when you’re talking about pitching, especially when you’re talking about starting pitching.”

“I think we’re going to be perpetually on the lookout for ways to improve, ways to get better, ways to add,” the president of baseball operations continued. “I think we’ve made some significant progress. I like the three arms that we’ve added to our starting rotation. But you never have enough starting pitching, so we’ll continue to look.”

If the team does add between now and mid-February, the trade market is — both logically and reportedly — the practical avenue to do so. The Mets have not been linked to any of the top remaining free agents, which makes sense given that Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery figure to command the exact sorts of multiyear contracts they’re trying to avoid. If the price falls on a lower-rated pitcher such as Michael Lorenzen or Hyun-Jin Ryu, perhaps the Mets would take a look. More likely, they’ll stand pat unless another club tempts them in the trade market.

Lineup
Similarly, the Mets intend to be opportunistic about adding to their offense, which means they might not make additional signings here either. Currently, the Mets are looking at a regular outfield alignment of Brandon Nimmo in left field, Bader in center and Starling Marte in right, as well as a DH platoon of DJ Stewart and Mark Vientos. Their bench is mostly set. At third base, Stearns indicated, the team is comfortable giving youngsters Brett Baty and Vientos regular chances.

“I still believe we have options internally on our roster that deserve opportunity,” Stearns said, “and frankly, for the long-term organizational outlook, need opportunity.”

Should the Mets add, they’ve been linked this offseason to J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner, two older former All-Stars who are available on short-terms deals. Stearns went as far as to say he “wouldn’t close the door” on an offensive acquisition. But in…