The Mets are staring at another winter with pressure building and patience shrinking. After missing the postseason for the second year in a row, New York heads into the offseason needing to act like a team that expects to be back in the mix by 2027.
That urgency sits squarely on Steve Cohen’s shoulders. Since taking over in 2021, he has seen the Mets reach October only twice, a number that doesn’t come close to the three-to-five-year World Series timeline he initially set. Even so, there’s still a path back, and the club’s position entering this winter gives it a real chance to reset the roster in a meaningful way.
The biggest move has to come on the mound. The Mets need an ace, someone who can steady a young rotation that already includes Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, and Jonah Tong.
Those arms give New York a foundation, but they’re still young and untested. What the group needs is a veteran who changes the entire feel of the staff.
Tarik Skubal would do exactly that. The two-time Cy Young winner is the headliner of the free-agent class, and he’s the type of pitcher who alters a rotation the moment he walks in.
The problem is the price tag. Some projections have him climbing past $300 million.
If that number pushes New York out of the bidding, there are other routes. Logan Gilbert and Joe Ryan could be available in trade talks this winter, since both are entering the final year of their deals with their current clubs. The Mets already took a step toward that kind of move by adding 12 new prospects to their farm system at the trade deadline.
Even after finding that top-of-the-rotation arm, the Mets should keep shopping for more pitching. With so much uncertainty behind McLean, another established starter would give them needed protection.
It doesn’t have to be a splashy investment, either. New York could chase a buy-low type like Walker Buehler or Shane Bieber and hope there’s more in the tank, the same kind of approach that worked when the club signed Luis Severino and Sean Manaea in 2024.
The infield brings its own set of decisions, and Bo Bichette’s opt-out could change the whole picture. If he stays, the Mets can check third base off the list with a star already in place. If he leaves, they’ll have another opening to solve, though they’d also free up $42 million for David Stearns to use elsewhere.
First base still looks like a priority either way. The Mets got almost nothing from the position in the first year after Alonso, and Jorge Polanco and Jared Young don’t exactly look like safe bets to carry the job in 2027.
Ty France stands out as a possible target after a strong season with the San Diego Padres, where he hit .295 with 21 homers and an .865 OPS. He also brings a Gold Glove pedigree.
Jake Burger and Josh Bell are other free-agent options, while Yandy Diaz could be a trade name to watch with one year left on his contract.
Second base may not require outside help at all. Stearns said at his end-of-season press conference that the Mets plan to handle the spot internally.
Marcus Semien is still under contract for two more seasons, but his .620 OPS this year was rough. Brett Baty also enters the conversation after finishing strong down the stretch.
The most intriguing internal option is Jefferson Rojas, the prospect acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline. He put together a big minor league season with 27 homers and an .843 OPS, and the Mets could give the 21-year-old the job out of camp the same way they did with Carson Benge in 2026.
The bullpen also needs attention, especially after New York traded away four relievers at the deadline. Nate Lavender and Reed Garrett, who is working back from Tommy John surgery, may already fill two of those openings. But the Mets still need trusted late-inning help next to closer Devin Williams, and ideally they need at least two proven arms.
Adrian Morejon and Jason Adam, both Padres relievers set to become free agents, would fit. Bryan Abreu and Alex Vesia are also in the mix as possible targets.
Kodai Senga adds another layer to the pitching puzzle. The Mets could look at him in the late innings again, but Senga has made it clear he wants to return to the rotation. If there’s no agreement on a role, New York could even use him as a trade chip for pitching depth elsewhere.
He’s not the only possible piece in play. Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio could also be moved this winter, giving Stearns more flexibility to address whatever is left on the roster.
With Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing among the next wave of Baby Mets, this offseason isn’t about tearing things down.
It’s about filling in the gaps around a young core and getting the roster ready to contend again. The path back won’t be simple, but it’s there.
In Other News...
Mets Trade Return Suddenly Looks A Lot Better After Cubs Exit
The Cubs quick exit from the Wild Card Series only sharpened the view from Queens. Chicago was swept by the Padres, and for the Mets, that result offers a fresh lens on the trade deadline deal that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to the North Side in exchange for prospect Jefferson Rojas. Holmes and Taylor were brought in to help a postseason push, but their impact was limited when it mattered most.
Rojas, meanwhile, is the piece New York can point to as it looks beyond this October. He is regarded as a promising young player who could fit into the Mets future roster, and Chicagos short stay in the playoffs makes the return feel even more relevant in hindsight. For a club still balancing present needs with long-term planning, that kind of upside is exactly what can make a deadline move age well. [Read more 🡒]
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The sinker has stayed steady and effective, but the rest of the mix has not been so simple. His four-seam fastball and cutter have both trended down, while a new slider has shown enough promise to make the old sweeper look less essential. For a Mets team trying to build around young pitching, the question now is whether McLeans added variety is sharpening his game or just making the choice of his best version harder to pin down. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Bullpen Problem Puts David Stearns Under Winter Pressure
The Mets spent the trade deadline moving several bullpen arms out of the picture, and the group theyre left with has only reinforced how much work still needs to be done. President of baseball operations David Stearns has already acknowledged shortcomings in the way the roster was built, and with the relief corps looking shaky, the winter figures to be shaped by how aggressively he chooses to address it.
Free agency should give Stearns a chance to add proven help rather than hope for internal fixes alone, and there are a handful of relievers who fit the profile of possible targets. Chris Minter, Adam, Abreu and Taylor Clarke are among the names to watch as the Mets try to steady a unit that has become one of the clearest pressure points on the roster. [Read more 🡒]