The Mets are headed into the offseason with a clear need at first base, and the most practical answer might not be the biggest name on the market.
After moving on from Pete Alonso last winter, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns got a harsh reminder of what that position looks like without a true everyday anchor. Jorge Polanco filled in as Alonso’s replacement, but an injury-marred 2026 season likely leaves him limited to designated hitter work next year. That opened the door for Jared Young, who made the most of his chance and put himself firmly in the conversation for a bigger role.
Young appeared in 103 games and hit .266/.330/.429 with 17 doubles, nine home runs and 39 RBIs. That’s useful production, but it doesn’t scream “full-time first baseman” for 2027. The cleaner setup for New York would be to pair him with a right-handed bat and form a platoon.
Among the available options, Jake Burger stands out as the best trade fit.
Burger doesn’t carry the same name recognition as some other first basemen, but the power is real. In three of his four full major league seasons, the right-handed hitter has launched at least 28 home runs. The underlying tools back that up, too: his 75.7 mph bat speed and 12.3% barrel rate both sit in at least the 80th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
The catch is consistency. Burger’s 2026 season was uneven, and he finished at .228/.302/.421 with 23 doubles, 28 home runs and 90 RBIs.
A lot of that damage came against left-handed pitching, where he hit .265 with 12 home runs and an .891 OPS. Against right-handers, though, he managed just .215 with a .659 OPS.
That split is exactly why he makes sense for the Mets. In a platoon, Burger could be deployed mostly against lefties, where his bat plays best, while Young handles the other side of the matchup. It’s a natural fit.
The Rangers may also be in a position to listen. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported that Texas is open to moving several key players this offseason as it looks to “reallocate” money while keeping payroll around $190 million. Burger isn’t one of the club’s priciest pieces, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting him at $6.9 million in arbitration, but the presence of higher-paid veterans with full no-trade clauses - Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager and Nathan Eovaldi - could make him more available.
There’s another layer here for New York: Burger comes with two more seasons of team control. That makes him more than a short-term patch. And because he plays a less premium position and has had his share of offensive inconsistency, he probably wouldn’t cost as much in a trade as established first basemen such as Yandy Diaz or Christian Walker.
He’d also bring a solid glove. Burger isn’t a Gold Glove defender, but he posted plus-1 Outs Above Average at first base last season, which adds to his appeal.
The Mets do have other right-handed first-base possibilities, including Ty France and Paul Goldschmidt in free agency. But if they end up spending heavily elsewhere - on top targets like Tarik Skubal or Michael King, for example - a lower-cost trade route could make more sense. Burger fits that lane.
A Burger-Young platoon would give the Mets balance at first base and let each hitter work in the spots that suit him best. If Burger sharpens his production against right-handed pitching, he could even grow into the everyday job, with Young sliding into a bench or designated hitter role.
It may not be the splashiest move on the board, but for a team trying to rebuild the position without overpaying, it could be one of the smartest.
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From the Devils perspective, the bigger story is what the deal allowed them to do next. Palt has not made much of an impact on Long Island, while New Jersey used the move to open up cap space and create the kind of flexibility that can matter over multiple seasons. Even as the pieces from that transaction have continued to move elsewhere, the Devils willingness to cut bait looks more and more like a front-office decision that helped set up the rest of their roster-building plan. [Read more 🡒]