The Mets’ first-base puzzle may not be getting a glamorous fix anytime soon.
That’s the read from SNY’s Chelsea Janes, who poured cold water on the idea that New York will make a serious run at Teruaki Sato this offseason. On The Mets Pod, Janes suggested the club could be just fine heading into 2027 with a familiar mix rather than a headline-grabbing upgrade.
"I think there's a very good chance that they go into next year with Jared Young, Jorge Polanco, and a few lesser options...that's very possible, knowing David Stearns" @chelsea_janes joins @PSLToFlushing on The Mets Pod to talk about the Mets' plan at first base for 2027 pic.twitter.com/78WAaRE4Fl
- SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) October 22, 2026
And really, that would track with how this front office has operated.
The Mets have already shown they’re willing to keep first base on a short leash. After Pete Alonso left, the club tried to make do with Jorge Polanco, even though he had never played the position.
Mark Vientos got a look there too, and Brett Baty picked up some reps as another possibility. In the end, Jared Young ended up being the answer that stuck, and he beat expectations on both offense and defense.
Young’s numbers were useful enough: a .759 OPS in 342 plate appearances. But that’s still not the sort of production that usually satisfies a team looking for impact from a power position like first base.
That’s where the tension sits for the Mets. They can stay in the lane of Young, Polanco and some lower-level alternatives, or they can swing bigger for someone like Sato.
But Sato changes the whole picture. If he’s the addition, the right-handed platoon idea becomes less important, Young’s role shrinks, and the depth chart shifts fast.
There are also signs the Mets’ decision-makers may prefer the cheaper, more flexible path. David Stearns has made it clear he doesn’t like handing out long-term deals to anyone other than Juan Soto, and the Alonso situation already hinted at the club’s comfort level with first base as a spot they can patch rather than commit to.
Stearns’ history only strengthens that idea. In Milwaukee, where he controlled roster decisions from 2016-2022, the Brewers never had the same player start on Opening Day at first base two years in a row. The closest they came was Rowdy Tellez, who held the job in 2023 while Stearns was still around in an advisory role.
The free-agent market doesn’t exactly force the Mets’ hand, either. Last winter’s first-base class offered stronger choices, and even then New York passed on several options.
This time around, the pool looks thinner. Ty France settled for a minor league contract.
Ryan O’Hearn landed for less than Polanco. The Mets had chances to go that route and chose not to.
That’s why Sato, despite ranking among the better bats available this offseason, may still not be the fit many fans want. He adds another left-handed hitter.
He has not played first base before. And if the Mets already believe they have enough internal answers, there’s little reason to expect them to suddenly change course.
If Sato ends up in Queens, it would be a real surprise. More likely, the Mets keep doing what they’ve done before at first base: mixing, matching and staying modest rather than making the kind of aggressive move that would change the entire conversation.
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