Jacob deGrom is the obvious Rangers name for the Mets to circle this offseason, but he may not be the cleanest fit for a return to New York. Chelsea Janes poured a little cold water on that idea when she said, "I just don't see him voluntarily coming back to New York."
That doesn’t mean the Mets should stop looking at Texas altogether. With the Rangers facing the possibility of moving more salary, there’s at least a case for New York to keep digging after last year’s deal that sent Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien. If the two clubs found a way to line up once, there’s reason to think another conversation could happen.
One place to start is Nathan Eovaldi. He’s the kind of pitcher you can pretty much map out in advance: some injury time, but usually 20-25 starts and plenty of value when he’s on the mound.
He posted a 1.73 ERA in 2025 at age 35, then followed that with a 4.20 ERA this past season, the same mark deGrom put up. Eovaldi made 23 starts and added four relief appearances, and he’s still owed $24 million in 2027.
That would make him a lighter payroll hit than deGrom while offering similar production. The health risk is real, but the Mets already have rotation depth options such as Jonah Tong and Zac Thornton, along with others who can help cover innings.
Jake Burger is another Ranger who fits the Mets’ radar. He’s still arbitration eligible, but his projected salary is nearly $6 million next season, which starts to matter for a team watching its spending.
Burger looks like a more complete version of Mark Vientos and backed that up with favorable defensive numbers this past year. He bats right-handed, which gives the Mets a possible first-base platoon setup with Jared Young.
Young could take the tougher righties, or Burger could simply become the more regular option. Either way, he’s the type of player worth asking about.
Then there’s MacKenzie Gore, a name that has already been floated as a Mets possibility. Pat Ragazzo had previously pointed to Gore as a target, and the appeal is easy to see: one year of control left, no extension in place, and a Rangers team that might consider moving him for less than what it paid to acquire him.
Gore was also a Mets target before, back when he was with the Nationals. He’s younger than the usual one-year rental, but the price would still be steep after a 4.58 ERA season that also featured a career-high 173 innings.
Texas gave up five prospects to get him, so the Mets would need to be careful with the package. The best version of that deal would involve only one truly useful prospect, with the rest built around redundancy or even a major leaguer or two.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
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The appeal is easy to see, even if the path is not. Roh has been mentioned by some analysts as a possible short-term answer at third base, but his offensive profile and positional overlap with current Mets players make any move far from straightforward. MLB.com has also linked him to several other clubs, so if the Mets are serious, they may have competition as they sort out whether the connection is enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Benges Rookie Snub Cost The Mets More Than An Award
Sal Stewarts win in the National League Rookie of the Year race left Carson Benge and the Mets on the outside looking in, and the result carried more than just the usual award-day sting. New Yorks outfielder finished second after voters leaned toward Stewarts traditional counting stats, with home runs and RBIs carrying the kind of weight that often still wins out over the newer metrics that favored Benge.
For the Mets, the miss also came with a practical cost. The Prospect Promotion Incentive program gives clubs an extra draft pick when a promoted rookie wins Rookie of the Year, and that avenue was there for New York if Benge had taken the award. Instead, the Mets are left with the reminder that a close vote can ripple beyond the trophy itself, especially when a young players case is built more on underlying value than on the numbers that tend to grab attention first. [Read more 🡒]