The Mets have plenty to sort through this winter, and the challenge is made even sharper by the shape of the free-agent market. Tarik Skubal and Alec Bohm sit near the top of the ideal wish list, but the bigger question is how much room David Stearns actually has to work with. With Steve Cohen signaling a desire to tighten spending and a free-agent class that looks thin beyond Skubal, the smarter path may be finding value instead of chasing headline names.
That’s where the lower-cost tier comes in. Overpaying for ordinary production can trap a team in a payroll bind for years, so the Mets have to be sharp about the bargains they target. A few names stand out as fits for different holes on the roster.
Ty France is one of the cleaner first-base ideas. He’s been around the league a lot since 2019, but a return to San Diego seems to have brought out the best version of him.
In 133 games, he hit .295 with 21 home runs, 72 RBI, and an .865 OPS while settling in as the Padres’ cleanup hitter. For a Mets club looking for a lower-cost partner for Jared Young at first, France’s right-handed bat and ability to punish lefties make plenty of sense.
A two-year deal could be enough to land him, especially with some teams likely wary of committing after his uneven stretch over the previous two seasons.
The rotation also needs help, and Tyler Mahle is a name worth watching. After joining the Atlanta Braves at the trade deadline, he looked like a different pitcher.
Mahle finished 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine starts and even earned a spot in Atlanta’s postseason rotation behind Chris Sale. His injury history could push him toward a one-year deal, which would suit the Mets just fine if they want a veteran who can soak up innings and ease pressure on younger arms.
In the bullpen, Peter Fairbanks could be a buy-low play with real upside. His 2026 season with the Marlins was rough - a 6.31 ERA and a back-and-forth role as closer - but he’s only a year removed from a strong run with the Rays.
He’d likely be looking for a one-year contract to rebuild value, and the Mets could view him as a setup man for Devin Williams with closing experience. If their pitching lab can help him find the old version of himself, that could turn into a bargain.
Another bullpen arm who fits that mold is Evan Phillips. He’s long been one of the Dodgers’ better late-inning weapons, and he even spent time as their closer before Tommy John surgery in May 2025 knocked him out for 13 months.
He returned well, posting a 3.46 ERA in 31 appearances. Phillips would give the Mets another experienced setup option behind Williams, and his postseason track record in Los Angeles adds value for a club that doesn’t have many pitchers who’ve handled that kind of pressure.
There’s also a familiar left-handed bullpen fit in Brooks Raley. Things went badly for him in Philadelphia after the trade deadline, where he posted a 7.94 ERA and missed the Phillies’ postseason roster.
Still, he has already shown he can pitch in New York, and Stearns made clear in his postseason press conference that the Mets need to put more weight on players who can handle the market. A one-year deal for Raley would let him rebuild value while also giving the Mets a veteran lefty who could help mentor younger arms like Nate Lavender.
The rotation could use more than one swing, and Casey Mize is another interesting target. He split the season between strong work in Detroit and a rough finish in San Diego.
With the Tigers, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 16 starts, but he went 2-4 with a 7.46 ERA in 10 starts with the Padres. The appeal is obvious: he’s still 29, and as a former No. 1 overall pick, the pedigree is still there.
If the Mets land Skubal, pairing Mize with him again could help Mize settle into a No. 3 type role.
Shane Bieber fits the same broad category: big name, buy-low price. He’s a former Cy Young winner, but the last three years have been defined by health problems.
Across Cleveland and Toronto, he made just 20 regular-season starts and five postseason starts. At 31, he could be looking for a one-year prove-it deal to set up one more real payday, and the Mets could take that kind of shot if they’re also making a major move like Skubal.
The upside would be worth the gamble, especially with young pitchers like Thornton or Tong available to help cover if it doesn’t click.
Josh Bauers is one of the trickier evaluations on the board, but his breakout year in Milwaukee changed the conversation. He set career highs with 26 home runs, 86 RBI, and an .874 OPS after spending most of his career as a platoon player.
His previous best WAR was 0.7 before jumping to 3.3 this season, so the market may not fully trust the breakout yet. That could make him a two-year buy-low candidate for the Mets, especially if the idea is to pair him with Young at first base.
Bauers also posted a .901 OPS against lefties this season, which only strengthens the fit.
The outfield looks more settled with Juan Soto, Carson Benge, and A.J. Ewing, but the Mets still need a fourth outfielder, and Robbie Thomas checks a lot of boxes.
He had a down walk year, batting .224 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, and a .702 OPS between the Royals and Braves, but he can handle all three outfield spots. A right-handed bat is especially useful here because Soto, Benge, and Ewing are all lefties.
Thomas also owns an .848 career OPS against left-handed pitching, giving the Mets a useful option if they want to sit Ewing or Benge against a tough southpaw.
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The market figure to be busy if Bichette reaches free agency, with the Angels, Braves and Orioles each mentioned as possible suitors for different reasons tied to roster need and recent performance. For the Mets, the bigger question is less about who else might want him and more about whether a move like that would force a pivot in how they picture their infield going forward. [Read more 🡒]
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Brett Baty never got the extended look at shortstop that might have clarified another possible path, while first base also went largely untested beyond the familiar options. Ronny Mauricio, meanwhile, got only limited major league time in September, which left another important developmental question hanging in the air. For a club that talked like it was using the season to investigate its future, the final month still left a few of the most practical roster questions unanswered. [Read more 🡒]