New York Mets2024 record: 89-73 (3rd place, NL East).He gone: INF Jose Iglesias, RHP Luis Severino, LHP Jose Quintana, DH J.D. Martinez, OF Harrison Bader, RHP Adam Ottavino, RHP Phil Maton.New faces: RF Juan Soto, OF Jose Siri, RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Frankie Montas, RHP Griffin Canning, LHP A.J. Minter, RHP Jose Urena.Biggest question entering Opening Day: Can the Mets retain the magic and the endearingly overachieving vibe they created last season after signing Soto to the richest contract in sports history? Of course, with a payroll well beyond $300 million last season, the Mets weren’t quite the little team that could. But they found a terrific chemistry in overcoming a 24-35 start, and the early signs are Soto is fitting in well with core members such as Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso. The quartet should anchor one of the best lineups in team history for the Mets, whose deciding issue is likely to be a rotation that was better than the sum of its parts — and will open the season without Montas (oblique) and Sean Manaea (lat).