The Mets are heading into an offseason that already feels like a referendum.
They’ve locked in one major piece of the puzzle by removing the interim tag from manager Andy Green after the final week of the regular season, but that move barely scratches the surface of what’s ahead. President of baseball operations David Stearns now has to steer a last-place club through a winter that includes a looming lockout, an angry fanbase and a roster with plenty of unresolved questions after the 2026 campaign.
Bo Bichette sits near the center of it all. After a slow start and plenty of adjustment pains, he settled in during the second half, his bat coming alive and his move to third base working out.
Now the Mets have to wait on a decision that will shape the rest of the lineup. If Bichette passes on his player option, New York would owe him $42 million next year.
If he takes it, he gets a $5 million bonus. Either way, he’s not going to come cheap, and with a thin free-agent market, he instantly becomes one of the biggest names available if he opts in.
Stearns, meanwhile, is being asked to prove he really did take something from the mess. On Monday, he sounded like someone at least willing to confront the problems head-on.
He said he added more voices to the front office because owner Steve Cohen wanted that. He also acknowledged that some players had a harder time adjusting to New York than expected, and admitted he pushed too much change while misjudging the risks.
The message was clear enough: he knows he can’t run this operation the same way he did in Milwaukee.
Pitching is another major test. The rookie trio of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton gave the Mets real reason for optimism, and each has a case to be part of the future rotation.
But the organization also knows better than to trust only the best-case version of events. Stearns said he plans to add pitching depth, and the range of possibilities is wide.
Jonah Tong will get a chance to prove himself early. Sean Manaea has to show he can bounce back and hold the velocity he needs.
Kodai Senga’s future in the bullpen is also a live question.
Then there’s the bigger swing. Tarik Skubal sits atop the class, and the Mets could decide to go after him.
They could also circle back to Clay Holmes, who would cost far more than he did the first time but has already shown he can handle New York. Michael King is another option if he exercises his opt-out.
And Stearns may also need to examine the Freddy Peralta situation closely, especially what went wrong in New York and why things changed so dramatically once he was with the Rays coaching staff.
First base is another spot that needs real answers. Jared Young did solid work after Jorge Polanco got hurt and Mark Vientos kept underperforming, but Stearns made it plain the Mets need more there.
The club will look both inside and outside the organization, with Young - who should be back fully after the concussion he suffered earlier this month - and Brett Baty among the internal names. Baty, as usual, finished strong, which only adds to the intrigue.
The external market is not exactly overflowing. Teruaki Sato is a name to watch, though converting him to first would be another experiment.
Ty France and Alec Bohm are also out there, but each comes with his own concerns, whether it’s France trying to follow a career-best offensive season or Bohm coming off one of his worst statistical years.
And then there’s the broader question of the Mets’ younger core, especially the so-called Not So Baby Mets. Stearns sounded convinced that A.J.
Ewing and Carson Benge are real, even if both are bound to have some growing pains. The tougher calls involve the players who came before them.
Francisco Alvarez regressed behind the plate. The organization seemed to lose faith in Vientos.
Even Baty, despite hitting .333 in the final month, still has people wondering how much of that finish is real.
“The truth is, we don’t know” if Baty’s late surge reflects who he really is, Stearns said. “Any player, until you see it for an extended period, [it's] very difficult for me to sit here right now and have complete certainty on that.”
For now, Alvarez and Baty appear likely to stay in the mix, especially with Stearns pointing to improvement from Alvarez late in the year. Vientos is far less certain, and Ronny Mauricio also seems to be searching for a place to fit.
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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 🡒]