The New York Mets may be regretting a major offseason decision as they watch a division rival reap the rewards. Instead of landing a proven power bat, they opted for a gamble—and it's not paying off.

During the winter, the Mets focused heavily on run prevention and took some unconventional approaches to their lineup. They signed Jorge Polanco to play first base and Bo Bichette to play third, positions neither had ever manned regularly. But according to FanSided's Tim Boyle, the biggest misstep was at designated hitter.

Rather than pursue Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber—who ultimately inked a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in the City of Brotherly Love—the Mets settled for Polanco as their primary DH and part-time first baseman. The results so far? Polanco has been sidelined for nearly a month with just one home run and two RBIs to his name. He's owed $20 million per year through next season, and Boyle argues the Mets are getting more punchline than punch.

"Stealing Schwarber from the Phillies would have been rewarding," Boyle wrote. "More so would have been having a left-handed hitter who pummels southpaws. Schwarber solves a lot of what the Mets are missing."

At 33 years old, Schwarber is doing what he does best: crushing home runs (16 so far) and drawing walks at a 14.1% clip. His return to Philadelphia always felt likely, but the Mets' failure to even compete for his services now looks like a costly swing and miss.

For a team trying to contend in a stacked NL East, passing on a proven postseason performer in favor of an experiment may be the kind of move that haunts them all season.