The best-case scenario for the 2020 New York Mets and new manager Carlos Beltran is that everything goes according to the master plan of general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. They need each pitcher in their rotation -- maybe that'll include Noah Syndergaard, maybe not -- to be healthy and productive. Beltran and the Mets need Edwin Diaz and the bullpen to bounce back. They need the 37-year-old Robinson Cano to punch back against time. They need Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil to be as good the second time around as they were this past summer.
But there is a distinct possibility that the Mets dissolve early next year, again, given the top-heavy nature of the roster, the lack of farm-system depth, the difficulty of the NL East and the extraordinary pressure that will be on this team right from the start of spring training. Everybody knows 2020 will be a win-now year. Beltran undoubtedly understands there is really no time for him to go through serious growing pains in a job he's never done.
There are three important areas of focus for Beltran as he takes over.