NASHVILLE -- At first glance, little happened for the Mets at the Winter Meetings. The team did not make a major signing, leaving Nashville with only two new players on minor deals.

Beneath the surface, president of baseball operations David Stearns said, the team made tangible progress on a number of fronts. The top of the free-agent market may remain frozen, but that’s starting to change with a decision likely coming on Yoshinobu Yamamoto later this month. In the interim, the Mets have continued to have conversations about outfielders and relief pitchers, both in the free-agent and trade marketplaces.

Here’s a look at everything the Mets accomplished at the Winter Meetings, plus all they have yet to do:

DEALS DONE
New York made two small moves at the Winter Meetings, signing reliever Michael Tonkin to a one-year, $1 million contract, according to a source, while also inking shortstop José Iglesias to a Minor League deal. Tonkin adds to the bullpen mix for a Mets team that has signed a surfeit of relievers in recent weeks, but none on guaranteed Major League deals. Iglesias adds to the club's Minor League infield depth.

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1. Starting pitching: The Mets continue to wait out the market for Yamamoto, whom most around baseball consider the top available starter. Team owner Steve Cohen recently flew to Japan to meet in person with Yamamoto, who will visit other clubs in the coming days. His decision could occur before Christmas. If the Mets sign Yamamoto, they’ll have accomplished their top offseason priority. If not, they’ll need to pivot; other starting pitchers available include Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, plus dozens of arms available on lesser deals.

2. Outfield/DH: This could take the form of an athletic center fielder such as Michael A. Taylor or Jung Hoo Lee, or a slugging corner outfielder like Jorge Soler or Teoscar Hernández -- or potentially even one of each. The Mets are committed to improving their offense, but they’re happy with their in-house solutions at third base. That makes outfield and DH the obvious places to upgrade.

3. Bullpen: Although the Mets have added to this mix through waiver claims and small, mostly Minor League signings, they have yet to ink any reliever to a guaranteed Major League deal. That figures to change later this offseason, especially once the relief market thaws a bit. Right now, the bullpen is anchored by Edwin Díaz and Brooks Raley, with returnees Drew Smith and Phil Bickford also in the mix.

RULE 5 DRAFT
The Mets made one selection in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft, selecting right-hander Justin Slaten from the Rangers and flipping him to the Red Sox for lefty Ryan Ammons and cash. Ammons, a 10th-round pick in last year’s MLB Draft, has yet to make his professional debut.

In the Minor League phase, the Mets drafted catcher Donovan Antonia from the Reds and right-hander Alan Perdomo from the Rockies. New York also lost five players in the Minor League phase, including right-hander Brendan Hardy to the Rockies.

BOTTOM LINE
“We’ve had 72 hours of conversations. Clearly, we haven’t gotten anything of significance over the finish line, but we’re working on it. We continue to feel good about the progress we’re making in some of our discussions. We also feel good about some of the acquisitions we have been able to make around the edges of our roster -- guys that will inevitably really help us over the course of the 2024 season. We’ve got a lot of offseason left to go, and we’ll keep working at it.” -- Stearns