Relief in sight: Pen the top priority as Sandy & Co. open GM meetings

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Mets can use an upgrade just about everywhere, but their priorities appear set.

Over the next four days at the ge n e ra l managers ’ meeti n g s , Sandy Alderson and his staff will discuss remedies for the starting rotation and inf ield, but those two items on the agenda take a backseat to the bullpen when assessing the team’s needs. And right behind the bullpen is the desire for an outf ield bat who could potenti a l ly provide an insurance policy at first base.

Alderson and his lieutenants are expected to meet with several agents this week to begin assessing the free-agent market, but just as importantly Mets brass will search for potential trade partners.

Though activity is u s u a l ly light at the GM meetings — the heavy lifting occurs at the winter meetings in December — it wo u l d n ’ t be unprecedented for the Mets to pounce if they found a deal that made sense. It was at the GM meetings in 2014 that the Mets announced they had signed Michael Cuddyer to a two-year contract.

Alderson has indicated he’s looking to a trim a payroll that reached $1 55 million last season, leaving it unlikely the Mets would be involved in top-tier free agents such as J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer and Yu Darvish. With likely less than $40 million to spend, the GM will keep his sights lower.

A breakdown of the needs:

BULLPEN

The Mets need at least one proven arm, if not two, to comp l e me n t Je u r ys Fa mi l i a , AJ Ramos and Jerry Blevins. In a free-agent market loaded with intriguing options, the Mets should have little trouble f inding an upgrade. Options include Bryan Shaw — who spent the last f ive seasons with manager Mickey Callaway with the Indians — Steve Cishek, Brandon Morrow, Addison Reed, Luke Gre ge rs o n and Matt Al b e r s , among others.

Wade Davis and Greg Holland represent the top of the market among available relievers. But the Mets would appear more likely to be shopping in a dif- ferent price range than the $60 million or more it might take to land somebody with Davis’ track record.

OUTFIELD/FIRST BASE

Dominic Smith hardly overwhelmed the Mets during his six-week audition at the end of the season, leaving team officials on the lookout for a corner outf ielder who could also provide insurance at first base. Jay Bruce, Logan Morrison and Adam Lind are among those who f it the mold.

Bruce is reportedly seeking a

five-year contract in the $90 million range, but the Mets could get i nvolved if t he pr i ce tag drops. Morrison and Lind can be signed for significantly less than Bruce.

If the Mets change course, Lorenzo Cain is an intriguing option to play center field, but he wouldn’t help solve the first-base puzzle.

INFIELD

Todd Frazier might be the best fit for the Mets, giving the team a third baseman who would allow Asdrubal Cabrera to play second full-time. But the Mets could also explore the trade route, with Dee Gordon (Marlins) and Jason Kipnis (Indians) among the possible solutions at second base.

STARTING ROTATION

Jason Vargas and Lance Lynn are the type of veteran pitchers who could provide stability to a rotation that has plenty of question marks behind Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom.

If all else fails, Bartolo Colon would be a relatively inexpensive option.