NEW YORK -- Given their budget, the Mets are not primed to make baseball's biggest Hot Stove splashes this season. They will acquire multiple players, with a focus on bullpen help. But the team that reports to Port St. Lucie, Fla., in February is bound to look similar to the one that parted ways last October.
To improve, the Mets are looking to other areas. One is new manager Mickey Callaway and his staff, whom the Mets hope will help change the culture in Flushing. Another is the club's focus on new-age medical and training philosophies, which several players discussed Thursday at the Mets' annual holiday party for children from local schools.