The Mets keep circling the same question with Juan Soto, and it’s one that could reshape the winter if they ever decide to act on it: is first base the next stop?
David Stearns hasn’t shown any interest in running the same play over and over, even with plenty of heat coming his way over the last two seasons. And this is the kind of move that would test that approach.
Soto is still a defensive problem in the outfield, even after being better in 2026 while playing the easier-to-handle left field in Queens. He still falls short of what the Mets want in run prevention, which is why a move across the diamond keeps hanging over everything.
If there’s a time to make that transition, it’s heading into the 2027 season.
That doesn’t mean it would be simple. The Mets already went through a failed first base plan a year ago, and the best results came from Jared Young.
Another shift could make it feel like they’re chasing their own tail in the post-Pete Alonso era. But Stearns has never seemed too concerned with how a decision looks from the outside.
He tends to stick with what he believes, and that part of his job is hard to argue with.
The reality is the Mets didn’t bring Soto in for his defense. They signed him to hit, control at-bats and chase big numbers. On that front, he’s been exactly where they need him to be, even if the signature moments still haven’t fully arrived.
There’s also a practical side to this beyond the glove. The Mets don’t have much stability at first base, and Soto’s separate calf injuries in 2026 are a reminder that keeping him in a lower-demand spot could help preserve him. Less ground to cover might matter.
And the market could push them in this direction, too. This winter’s free-agent class includes right-handed hitting corner outfielders who would fit the Mets’ needs, with Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena and Ian Happ among the appealing names.
If they wanted to add a bat, the outfield offers more options than first base does. Trades would open even more doors.
Soto moving from right field to left before spring training in 2026 was already a notable change. A full-time jump to first base would be a much bigger leap, and probably not one the Mets make quickly. They’ve done plenty to keep Soto comfortable, and as long as he prefers the outfield, that’s where he’ll likely stay until the conversation gets unavoidable.
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