The Mets are expected to spend this offseason trying to clean up the parts of their roster that helped sink their year, and pitching sits near the top of that list. New York wants help for a rotation that has fallen short for two straight seasons, and the focus is on adding frontline arms to support an already young group.
One name that just hit the market is Dustin May. The right-hander declined his $20 million mutual option with the Brewers on Friday, less than 48 hours after Milwaukee won the World Series, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
May’s 2026 season was split between two teams. He started the year with the Cardinals before being dealt to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. Over a career-high 31 regular-season starts, the 29-year-old went 7-9 with a 4.70 ERA, struck out a career-high 144 batters and posted a 1.32 WHIP across 109 innings.
The numbers got rougher once he landed in Milwaukee. May put up a 5.65 ERA in 10 starts with the Brewers and then allowed seven earned runs in the postseason. Even so, his track record and experience could make him a useful depth addition for a Mets staff that needs it.
If New York were to sign him, May could step right into the rotation as a middle-of-the-pack starter. He also offers another route: the bullpen. During his time with the Dodgers, he worked as a long reliever.
That said, the fit would make the most sense if the Mets didn’t stop with just one starter. May has not been known for working deep into games, and this past season he reached six innings or more only 13 times combined between the Cardinals and Brewers.
The market may not be especially aggressive. After signing a one-year, $15 million deal with St. Louis last offseason, May is not projected by Soptrac to land a multi-year contract, especially after his second-half and postseason struggles with Milwaukee.
That leaves the possibility of another short-term deal, likely in the neighborhood of the $15 million he got from the Cardinals, with a mutual option attached.
For the Mets, that would be the kind of move that doesn’t grab headlines but could still matter. May wouldn’t be the flashiest addition, but he could bring veteran stability to a young rotation that badly needs more reliable innings.
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It also brings to mind a Mets-Reds rookie showdown that still lingers in the memory, the 1968 race between Jerry Koosman and Johnny Bench. That one ended with Bench taking the award after a vote that was closer than the final margin might suggest, and the season itself offered plenty of numbers for voters to weigh. This years version may be easier to sort out, but for Mets fans, any rookie race with Cincinnati in the middle of it is going to stir old instincts and fresh hope at the same time. [Read more 🡒]