Mets Offseason Heats Up: Pitching, Power Bats, and a New Look at First Base
The New York Mets are deep in the thick of the offseason, and while they've made some moves, it's clear the front office isn’t close to finished. The roster still has holes - and not small ones.
The Mets are actively hunting for both pitching help and a legitimate impact bat, with the clock ticking and the market tightening. There’s urgency in Queens, and it’s starting to show.
Mets Zeroing In on Pitching and Power
After missing out on Michael King, the Mets - led by President of Baseball Operations David Stearns - have turned up the heat in both trade talks and free-agent negotiations. The message is clear: this roster, as currently constructed, isn’t ready to go toe-to-toe with the NL East’s heavyweights.
The dream scenario? Tarik Skubal.
The Tigers’ lefty checks every box: young, controllable, dominant. But Detroit’s asking price is sky-high, and Stearns has made it clear he’s not willing to mortgage the farm for a single arm - not yet, anyway.
So the Mets are pivoting to high-upside options like Freddy Peralta and Sandy Alcantara. These aren’t safe bets - Alcantara’s coming off injury, and Peralta has had his share of ups and downs - but both bring ace-level ceilings. That’s the kind of gamble Stearns is willing to take: imperfect arms with the potential to dominate.
On the offensive side, Cody Bellinger is emerging as a serious option. He’s a fit on multiple levels - left-handed bat, postseason pedigree, and the ability to play all over the diamond.
He wouldn’t cost top prospects, either, which is a big plus for a team trying to build depth and stay competitive long-term. The front office knows it can’t sit on its hands much longer.
The Mets need answers - and they need them soon.
Jorge Polanco’s New Role: First Base by Design, Not by Desperation
One of the more intriguing developments this offseason is the Mets’ decision to bring in Jorge Polanco - not just as a versatile infielder, but potentially as a part-time first baseman. It’s a bold move, especially considering Polanco has logged just one game at the position in his MLB career. But this isn’t a case of throwing someone into the fire.
The Mariners had already started grooming Polanco for first base before injuries forced him back to second. That training didn’t go to waste.
The Mets are now picking up where Seattle left off, planning to use Polanco at first and DH to ease the transition. It’s not about replacing Pete Alonso with a carbon copy - it’s about rethinking the position entirely.
Letting Alonso walk was a seismic decision. You don’t just lose a power bat like that and shrug it off.
But the Mets are choosing flexibility over familiarity. Instead of locking into a traditional slugger at first, they’re opting for a more fluid approach - one that values versatility, preparation, and adaptability.
Polanco’s buy-in is key, and the Mets believe his glove and bat can combine to help offset Alonso’s departure, even if it doesn’t look conventional.
Bo Bichette? The Fit Is Tempting - and Complicated
The Mets’ interest in Bo Bichette is one of the more intriguing storylines developing behind the scenes. On paper, it makes a lot of sense.
Bichette brings elite contact skills, a low strikeout rate, and the kind of offensive consistency that plays especially well in October. Add him to a lineup that already features Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, and you’ve got a trio that can wear down even the deepest pitching staffs.
But there’s a catch - and it’s not a small one.
Defensively, Bichette is a tough fit. Moving him to third base, where the Mets already have Brett Baty, raises a lot of questions.
Bichette’s range has declined, and his arm strength isn’t ideal for the hot corner. That’s not just a minor adjustment - it’s a structural risk.
You’re potentially weakening your defense to strengthen your lineup, and over a 162-game season, that kind of trade-off can come back to bite you.
Still, the bat is tempting. There aren’t many hitters who can do what Bichette does, especially in high-leverage moments. If Stearns decides the offense is worth the defensive gamble, it could be a swing-for-the-fences type of move - one that signals the Mets are all-in on building a lineup that can slug its way through October.
Bottom Line: The Mets are walking a tightrope this winter - balancing long-term sustainability with the need to compete right now. Whether it’s betting on upside arms, reimagining first base, or taking a calculated risk on a bat like Bichette, every move is being made with one eye on 2025 and the other on the bigger picture.
The pieces are moving. Now it’s on Stearns and company to make them fit.