With just nine games left in the season, the Mets are already staring straight at 2027, and the front office has plenty to sort through this winter. Pete Alonso’s return sparked a loud reaction from fans this week, a reminder of how much ground the organization still has to make up with its base.
The free-agent class isn’t exactly overflowing, but there are still a few names who could help reshape this roster, especially on the pitching side. Bo Bichette’s opt-out decision will also matter, because it could have a major effect on how much money President of Baseball Operations David Stearns has to spend.
At the top of the wish list sits Tarik Skubal. There are obvious injury concerns, but there’s also no better arm available, and adding him would change the whole look of the rotation. It would also push the current group into better-fitting roles, with Nolan McLean sliding in as one of the best No. 2 starters in baseball.
Skubal would be the headline move, but the Mets would still need another veteran starter to stabilize the middle of the rotation. Robbie Ray fits that need.
The former Cy Young winner is 13-8 with a 3.60 ERA in 30 appearances, including 29 starts, between the Giants and Padres. He’s also a proven workhorse when healthy, having reached at least 162.2 innings in four of the past six seasons, with 2022 and 2023 the exceptions because he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
In this setup, Ray could slot in as the No. 3 starter, which would let Stearns move Christian Scott to the No. 4 spot and keep the fifth-starter competition open for Sean Manaea, Jonah Tong, Zac Thornton and other depth options.
First base is another area that needs real answers. The Mets can’t head into next year banking on Jared Young, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Jorge Polanco to solve it.
Alec Bohm is one option worth serious consideration. For the Phillies, he is hitting .251 with 15 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .707 OPS in 534 at-bats.
Bohm would make even more sense if the Mets want Young involved in a first base platoon, since Bohm has been especially effective against left-handed pitching. Against lefties, he is batting .293 with seven homers, 36 RBIs and an .828 OPS in 179 at-bats.
Paul Goldschmidt could also work in a platoon role with Young, but the better move would be to target someone still in his prime rather than going with a player near the end of his career. Bohm’s ability to handle both infield corners would also help if Bichette opts out.
The outfield has its own issue now that Tyrone Taylor has been traded and Luis Robert Jr. has been lost via waivers. That leaves Juan Soto, A.J.
Ewing and Carson Benge as the current all-left-handed-hitting group, and while all three can start, the Mets could use a right-handed veteran who can cover the corners. Nick Morabito still looks like he needs more time in the minors before he’s ready for that fourth-outfielder role.
Ramón Laureano stands out as a buy-low option. He has missed most of the season after surgery in May to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, but he’s only a year removed from a strong 2025 season in which he hit .281 with 24 homers, 76 RBIs and an .855 OPS. He can play both outfield corners, and a one-year prove-it deal would give the Mets more flexibility to manage Juan Soto’s health with DH days or sit Ewing or Benge against tough lefties.
The bullpen looks better after its strong post-deadline stretch, so the Mets don’t necessarily need to chase the biggest name at the back end. Even so, they still need a proven setup arm, and Evan Phillips is a logical target. He has a 3.68 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 27 appearances for the Dodgers this season.
Phillips has also dealt with injuries this year, but he has closing experience with Los Angeles, which could matter if Devin Williams runs into trouble in his second season with the Mets. Those injury concerns might keep Phillips on a one- or two-year deal, which would fit Stearns’ approach and make him a useful addition alongside Williams, Kodai Senga, Reed Garrett and Daniel Duarte.
In Other News...
Mets Just Turned Another Special Weekend Into A Fan Frustration
The Mets spent Sept. 19 trying to make a weekend feel celebratory, but the timing never quite let it breathe. Carlos Beltrans jersey retirement ceremony landed in the middle of a critical stretch of the season, and the weather did the atmosphere no favors, turning what should have been a polished tribute into another reminder that even the clubs special dates have been hard to stage cleanly this year.
Howie Roses long-awaited celebration is now being pushed to the opening weekend of the 2027 season, a delay tied to ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations and, reportedly, his own preference. Still, it fits a broader pattern for the Mets, who have managed to create multiple calendar headaches around their feel-good moments, leaving fans to wonder why so many of the years best intentions keep arriving with some obvious complication attached. [Read more 🡒]
Carlos Beltran Just Changed The Mets Manager Search Mood
Carlos Beltrans number retirement ceremony at Citi Field gave the Mets a celebratory backdrop, but it also turned into a reminder of where the clubs managerial search stands. Asked about the opening, Beltran did not close the door, yet he made clear that the job would require a major commitment and that his current personal and professional priorities are part of the equation. For a team still sorting through what it wants in its next manager, the timing of the question alone said plenty.
The Mets are widely viewed as needing someone with experience and a steady hand, and Beltrans response only sharpened that conversation. He remains a beloved figure in the organization, but his uncertainty adds another layer to a search already tied to broader questions about fit, readiness and leadership. Even on a night meant to honor his place in franchise history, the discussion drifted back to the future and the challenge of finding the right person to manage it. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Are Still Waiting For These Offseason Trades To Pay Off
The Mets spent the offseason reshaping the roster with three moves that were supposed to help now and later, most notably swapping Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien and Jeff McNeil for Yordan Rodriguez. They also dealt Franklin Gomez for international bonus slot money, a quieter transaction that was meant to open another avenue for future talent. On paper, it was the kind of activity that signals a front office trying to balance immediate needs with longer-term flexibility.
But as 2026 unfolds, the return on those deals still has not arrived in the majors. Semien and Rodriguez have yet to provide the sort of impact the Mets were after, and the bonus pool space from the Gomez trade has not yet translated into any visible payoff either. That leaves these moves sitting in a holding pattern for now, with the real judgment on them likely coming only after the organization finally gets something tangible from one or more of the pieces it acquired. [Read more 🡒]