The New York Mets had a disastrous season. Despite having one of the biggest payrolls in the majors, the Mets finished 74-88. That placed them last in the NL East, with the third-worst record in the National League, and 14 games out of a playoff spot. The front office will likely pursue some big-name players in the offseason, and the Mets have already been rumored to be interested in Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Now, the Mets know they need to improve pitching, but are also being connected to another player coming off a World Series appearance, according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

“The Mets are focused on improving their pitching staff and are excited about young starters Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton. Even with those young arms, I expect them to be players at the top of the starting pitching market, including both Skubal and King. They’re also going to go hard to improve their bullpen, both in terms of quality and quantity,” Bowden started. “I personally think they should look to upgrade at first base, and I think (Jake) Bauers would be a perfect fit with his winning attitude, power bat and on-base skills.

The Mets had a hole at first base this year after they chose not to re-sign Pete Alonso. Jared Young and Mark Vientos got most of the time at first. Young hit .266 with a .330 on-base percentage, while having nine home runs and 39 RBIs in 103 games. Vientos played in 87 games, hitting .212 with a .258 on-base percentage. He has 13 home runs and 41 RBIs.

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Meanwhile, Jake Bauers was great for the Brewers. He hit .266 with a .389 on-base percentage. Further, he has 26 home runs and 86 RBIs in his 144 games this year.

The Mets are expected to be aggressive in landing pitching help, but going after Bauers as well would be a smart decision.