Carson Benge’s breakout year got the recognition it deserved Tuesday, when the Mets outfielder was named a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
That wasn’t the only Mets-related note worth watching as free agency officially got underway. New York made a handful of small roster moves, claiming Jack Anderson from the Twins and Pierson Ohl from the Rockies, while also signing Christian Cairo to a one-year major league contract. The club also moved up its single-game ticket on-sale date to November 12, a shift from the usual December or January window.
There was more Mets news beyond the transactions. Anthony DiComo laid out why this offseason matters so much for David Stearns, who is heading into his fourth year as the team’s President of Baseball Operations.
Joe DeMayo also released his ranking of the organization’s Top 30 prospects, and fans can now vote for Nolan McLean for a Platinum Glove. Sandy Alderson, meanwhile, landed on the Hall of Fame ballot for the Contemporary Baseball Era.
Elsewhere in the division, the award season picture started to take shape. Cristopher Sánchez and Chris Sale were named finalists for the NL Cy Young Award, while Don Mattingly and Walt Weiss were finalists for NL Manager of the Year. Jhoan Duran was also listed as a finalist for NL Reliever of the Year.
The Marlins made a couple of notable moves of their own, claiming Cameron Weston off waivers from the Mets and signing Robinson Cano Jr. to a $1 million deal.
Across baseball, the league’s major award finalists were announced, covering the MVP, Cy Young, Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Relief Pitcher of the Year races. Free agency chatter is already heating up too. ESPN’s staff weighed in on the offseason buzz, Jeff Passan reported that the Cubs badly want Tarik Skubal and could be the Dodgers’ toughest competition for him, and CBS Sports had three different landing spots for Skubal, including one writer who pegged the Mets.
Keith Law described this as the weakest free agent class in recent memory, while 21 more players officially hit the market and eight received qualifying offers. One name missing from that list was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who did not get a qualifying offer from the Yankees.
There’s also a race against time for Japanese players who are being posted ahead of the MLB lockout, according to Ken Rosenthal. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee announced its Cooperstown candidates, and Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were in Brooklyn yesterday as their trial began on four criminal counts tied to pitch rigging. Sam Blum put together a guide to the case.
Around the rest of the league, the Diamondbacks are staring at a busy winter with Ketel Marte at the center of the conversation, the Rangers claimed José Buttó off waivers from the Giants, the Cubs signed Jacob Webb to a one-year deal with a team option for 2028, and the Orioles declined Ryan Mountcastle’s option while Heston Kjerstad cleared waivers and was outrighted.
And in one final Mets-adjacent note, Lukas Vlahos argued that the Mets should not sign Tarik Skubal.
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For the Jets, the ripple effect is obvious even if they are not the ones making the first move. One alternative being discussed has New Yorks other team as a possible source of help, which naturally puts Breece Hall back into the conversation, even as the Jets have said they do not intend to deal him. For now, it is all still speculation, but the deadline pressure is making every running back rumor feel a little more real. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Painful Reset Is Starting To Look Very Different One Year Later
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The ripple effects have only added to the intrigue. Indianapolis has stumbled through a losing stretch and roster changes since landing Gardner, whose play has also slipped, while New York has gotten useful production from Adonai Mitchell and now sits on a pile of draft capital that gives the front office plenty of ways to build. The bigger question is no longer whether the Jets chose a hard path, but how aggressively they turn those assets into the next version of the team. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Draft Focus Is Already Shifting After This Brutal Start
A 2-6 start has already pushed the Jets into an uncomfortable but familiar place, with attention drifting from the weekly grind to the long view. Holding three first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft gives the front office a rare chance to attack multiple needs at once, and the early conversation is centered on adding help to a secondary that needs more playmaking, a pass rush that can tilt games, and a quarterback room that still needs a clearer answer.
Among the names drawing interest are Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, Tennessee defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. The appeal is obvious from the Jets perspective: Robinson could bolster the back end, Gilliam could strengthen the front, and Carr offers a possible swing at the sports most important position, giving the club a chance to reshape the roster in more than one direction if the draft board breaks right. [Read more 🡒]