The Mets’ winter shopping list could get a lot more interesting once option decisions start rolling in, and a few names already stand out as fits if they hit the market. New York needs help in plenty of places while it tries to reshape the roster into a legitimate contender, and these situations could open the door to players who match specific roles from the top of the rotation down to the bench.
Michael King is the loudest name on the board. The Padres right-hander has been tied to the Mets for a while, and 2026 only made the case stronger that David Stearns should go hard after him. Health has always been the question, but King answered plenty of it this year by making 32 starts, logging 185 innings, and finishing with a 3.21 ERA.
He can opt out of a deal that would pay him $32 million in 2027 and $34 million in 2028, and after that kind of season, it feels likely he’ll chase a bigger long-term payday. For the Mets, the appeal is obvious: another veteran arm at the front of the rotation to pair with Nolan McLean.
King has also shown he can handle October pressure, carrying a 1.86 ERA in the postseason. Since 2022, he’s one of only eight pitchers to work at least 475 innings with an ERA at or below 3.00, joining Zack Wheeler, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, Drew Rasmussen, Paul Skenes, Chris Sale, and Max Fried.
That’s rarefied air.
Matthew Boyd is a different kind of fit, but just as practical. The Cubs and Boyd have a mutual option worth $15 million for 2027, and those almost never get exercised because both sides have to agree. Boyd’s case is even less likely to land there because he’s probably outperformed that number across the last two years.
The lefty has dealt with injury questions too, but he has still made 53 starts over two seasons in Chicago. In 2025 he posted a 3.21 ERA, then followed with a 3.91 mark in 2026.
At 36, he profiles as a reliable mid-rotation starter, and that matters for a Mets team that can’t count on Sean Manaea in the rotation and also shouldn’t plan on Zac Thornton as the lone left-handed starter. Boyd would probably be looking at a one- or two-year deal anyway, which fits New York’s likely preference.
Myles Straw would be a very different kind of addition, but he brings value in the places the Mets could use it. He’s not there for the bat, as his 2026 line of .241/.304/.342 and his career mark of .246/.314/.316 make clear. What he does bring is glove, speed, and versatility.
Straw can handle all three outfield spots at a high level, with center field standing out most. In 2025, he piled up 15 defensive runs saved in center despite playing just 532 1/3 innings there.
That kind of defense would give the Mets more flexibility with A.J. Ewing at second base if they want it, and it would be a clear upgrade over Nick Morabito as a fourth or fifth outfielder.
He also ran a 97th percentile sprint speed of 29.7 feet per second this past season, and his resume includes two 20-plus steal seasons along with 30 stolen bases in 2021. He’s the kind of player who can change a game without ever needing the spotlight.
Then there’s Wandy Peralta, who may have been left off the Padres’ initial NLDS roster, but that doesn’t change what he is: a useful, durable middle reliever when used properly. San Diego added him only after it became clear Mason Miller would take a one-day paternity leave, and Peralta still fits as a rubber-armed setup option for the middle innings.
Over the last two seasons, Peralta’s 142 2/3 innings rank ninth among MLB relievers, and he has a 3.47 ERA in that span. He’s handled right-handed hitters nearly as well as lefties, and he brings a mid-90s fastball plus the kind of crafty edge that lets him mess with a hitter’s timing.
He is a pest in the best way, the kind of arm that can calm things down before the late-inning weapons enter. He’s also already got a reputation for handling New York, which should make the fit in Queens feel pretty natural.
In Other News...
Mets Still Have One Massive Roster Question To Solve
Looking ahead to 2027, the Mets roster picture already has a clear priority at the top of the list: finding a starter who can anchor the rotation at the highest level. The market could eventually offer some intriguing names, and Tarik Skubal stands out as the kind of impact arm who could reshape a staff if he ever gets there. From the Mets perspective, this is the sort of move that can alter both the floor and the ceiling of a club trying to build around contention.
The bigger challenge is that the rotation question is only part of the checklist. The Mets also have holes that would deepen the roster in important ways, including a right-handed bat for first base, a right-handed fourth outfielder and another high-leverage reliever to shorten games late. There are candidates who fit those jobs, from Alec Bohm and Paul Goldschmidt to Nick Morabito, Tyrone Taylor, Randal Grichuk, Lane Thomas, Ramon Laureano, Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam, but the real issue is how the front office prioritizes all of it when the time comes. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Rotation Overhaul Could Put One Young Arm In Trouble
The Mets have already spent the trade deadline reshaping the roster, and the next order of business is clear: the starting rotation needs help. David Stearns has said as much, making it plain that the club expects to add arms before long and keep pushing for more stability behind the games already on the calendar.
For Zac Thornton, that creates a tougher road into spring and beyond. The young right-hander is in the mix now, but any meaningful rotation upgrade could tighten the competition around him and leave his place far from secure. A move like that would not necessarily be a setback so much as part of the Mets larger plan to keep developing him while sorting out a staff that still needs more depth and certainty. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Already Have A Quiet Devin Williams Backup Plan
The late-season conversation around the Mets has had a familiar shape: Devin Williams was supposed to be part of the answer at closer, but the results have not matched the role, while Kodai Senga has given the club a different look in the high-leverage mix. With the bullpen picture still unsettled, the Mets have started to examine lower-profile options who might matter more than they did in spring, especially if the ninth inning remains open going into next season.
Nate Lavender is one of those arms worth keeping in the back of the mind. He has shown enough strike-throwing and miss bats to stand out as a potential relief piece, even if he is not in the current closer conversation, and the appeal is obvious for a team that wants more answers in the pen. The velocity is not eye-catching, but the Mets may not need a radar-gun headline if the rest of the profile keeps playing the same way. [Read more 🡒]