The Mets’ winter could get loud in a hurry, and not just because the front office is expected to be active. Three players are heading into 2027 with their roles looking shakier than ever, and the pressure is already on before the first pitch is thrown.
No one is carrying a heavier burden than Marcus Semien. After putting up a .620 OPS that was second-worst among all qualified major leaguers, he enters the season needing to prove he still belongs in the starting lineup. David Stearns didn’t exactly offer a vote of confidence in his end-of-season press conference, leaving open the question of whether Semien will even open the year at second base.
The defense that was supposed to steady his case also slipped badly. Semien, who won a Gold Glove the season before the Mets acquired him, finished with a -9 OAA.
And with Brett Baty and top prospect Jefferson Rojas available as alternatives, New York has options if it decides to move on. The contract complicates things - the Mets still owe Semien $56 million over the next two seasons - but that only buys him time.
If the production doesn’t change, the replacement could come quickly.
Baty is in a different spot, but the uncertainty is just as real. The soon-to-be 27-year-old showed why the Mets have stuck with him, especially over his final 40 games of 2026, when he hit .305 with five home runs and a .926 OPS.
He was driving the ball hard, using the whole field and looking like a player who might finally be turning the corner. But the full-season line still told a different story: a .228 batting average and a .685 OPS, both below league average.
What Baty does offer is flexibility. He gave the Mets value in the field by moving all around the infield and even spending time in left and right field.
That versatility matters, but it doesn’t make him safe. With Mitch Voit and Emilien Pitre also pushing toward the big leagues, plus Rojas in the mix, Baty’s grip on a regular job is far from firm.
Stearns said as much when he addressed the uncertainty around him, and the message was clear: the front office still doesn’t know how much faith to put in him. After similar signs of a breakout in 2025 that never carried over, 2027 could be his last shot to lock down an everyday role.
Otherwise, a bench assignment or a trade may be next.
Then there’s Kodai Senga, whose situation may be the most complicated of all. It’s possible he doesn’t even reach Opening Day in the rotation after he said he wants to return to starting.
The Mets can’t really afford that after he posted a 10.08 ERA in his first seven starts of 2026. Still, there’s a path for him if he accepts a bullpen job, and New York would have reason to welcome that.
He gave the club real value out of relief down the stretch, finishing the final two months with a 3.24 ERA, 22 strikeouts and a 1.32 WHIP.
But the warning signs are impossible to ignore. Senga’s underlying numbers were rough, with the right-hander ranking in the sixth percentile or worse in chase percentage, walk percentage and barrel percentage.
If he can’t sharpen things up, the Mets may have to look for a trade partner. If that doesn’t work, a release wouldn’t be out of the question.
In Other News...
Former Mets All-Star May Have Ended Any Chance Of A Reunion
David Petersons stint in Queens ended in June when the Mets dealt him to the Cubs after a difficult opening stretch, and the move seems to have worked for both sides in the short term. Peterson steadied himself in Chicago, cutting his ERA even as his FIP climbed, a reminder that the left-hander still offered enough value to matter as he headed toward free agency.
For the Mets, though, the reunion path appears thin. The front office is leaning toward a more accomplished starting option rather than circling back to a pitcher they already moved on from, and Petersons recent run only makes it more likely hell have a stronger market elsewhere. What once looked like a possible familiar fit now feels like a case of timing, roster needs and a changed market pushing the two sides in different directions. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fringe Roster Battle Is Already Taking Shape This Offseason
The Mets are already staring at one of those early offseason chores that can shape everything that follows: trimming a crowded 40-man roster before the November 2 deadline. At the moment, New York sits at 43 players, and with front-office decisions soon giving way to winter maneuvering, the first task is simply creating room for whatever comes next.
Robert Stock, Cristian Pache and Christopher Morel look like the most vulnerable names as the Mets sort through recent performance and roster utility. None of that is especially glamorous, but these are the kinds of moves that often set up a busier offseason, whether the club is clearing space for additions or just trying to keep its roster flexible enough to react when the market starts to move. [Read more 🡒]
Mets First Base Plan Suddenly Looks More Complicated Than Free Agency
The Mets spent a 74-win season learning just how many holes still need patching, and first base is one of the cleaner places to start. Jared Young and Mark Vientos split time there in 2026, but the production never really matched the opportunity, leaving a position the club had hoped would stabilize instead looking like another spot that needs attention alongside the pitching staff and the rest of the offense.
Jake Bauers has surfaced as a possible free-agent fit after a strong 2026, but the bigger wrinkle is that New York already has a left-handed option in Young who showed enough in his first regular major league season to stay part of the conversation. With Young under team control through 2032, the Mets are not simply shopping for a bat. They are weighing whether the answer is an outside addition, a continued look at what they already have, or some version of both. [Read more 🡒]