David Stearns didn’t leave much mystery about where the Mets want to spend their energy this offseason.
At the MLB GM meetings, the Mets president of baseball operations said the club’s main focus is improving the pitching staff and first base, while second base does not appear to be a priority in free agency. Per Anthony DiComo, Stearns said he doesn’t expect the team to add there, though he also made clear he wasn’t closing the door on every possibility.
The pitching market is already drawing attention, with the Mets’ pursuit of Tarik Skubal said to be heating up. On the first-base side, Ty France is among the free-agent names in the mix.
Second base, though, looks like a spot the Mets believe they can handle internally. Marcus Semien, Brett Baty, and a group of top infield prospects are expected to be part of the picture there in 2027.
Semien handled most of the work at the position in 2026, logging 139 games at second. But his age-35 season was rough.
His advanced fielding numbers fell sharply, and the decline showed up in the eye test, too. From 2022 through 2025, Semien was in the 94th percentile or better in outs above average.
In 2026, he dropped to the 5th percentile. His offense slipped across the board as well.
Baty got 25 games at second base last season, and his year was uneven overall. He was streaky at the plate and still couldn’t carve out an everyday role, leaving the idea of a breakout season more hope than certainty.
If the idea of Semien and Baty headlining the second-base plan for 2027 doesn’t exactly excite you, the Mets do have other options coming. DiComo reported that Jefferson Rojas, Émilien Pitre, and Mitch Voit could all enter the conversation there. Each ranks among the top 10 prospects in the Mets system.
In Other News...
Mets May Have Found A Lefty Bullpen Option In An Unusual Place
The Mets have been scanning for left-handed relief help, and Darwinzon Hernandez has surfaced as a name worth watching after a stint in Japan that reportedly came with improved performance metrics. A lefty with major league experience and a fresh track record overseas is the kind of low-risk, upside play that can make sense for a bullpen that needs another option from that side.
Hernandez is also in a favorable spot for a team like New York because he still has minor league options, which gives a club some roster flexibility if it wants to bring him in and evaluate him without an immediate long-term commitment. The contract expectation is modest compared with what pitchers with similar numbers usually command, so the question now is less about price and more about whether the Mets decide this is the right place to add another arm. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Face A Bigger Tarik Skubal Battle Than Expected
The pitching market is already starting to take shape, and Tarik Skubal sits at the center of it. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Blue Jays have arranged a meeting with the free agent left-hander, who is widely viewed as the top arm available this winter, putting Toronto squarely in the mix as clubs begin lining up for a chance to bolster their rotations.
For the Mets, that only makes the pursuit more complicated. They are expected to be in the hunt along with the Padres and Dodgers, but Torontos entry adds another heavyweight to a chase that figures to be crowded from the start, especially with the Blue Jays eager to rebuild a staff that was hit by injuries and ended in disappointment in the AL East. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Have Made One Lineup Fix Their Clear Offseason Priority
The Mets have already narrowed one of their biggest offseason questions to a single spot. President of baseball operations David Stearns said adding a first baseman is a top priority this winter, even as Jared Young is expected to remain part of the plan there next season. The idea is not to overhaul the position so much as to give the lineup a more balanced look, with the club wanting a right-handed bat to pair with Young.
New York is expected to pursue that help either in free agency or via trade, with Ty France, Paul Goldschmidt and Alec Bohm among the names in the mix. Elsewhere, the Mets sound comfortable with their internal options, and Marcus Semien is expected to compete for playing time at second base. For a team trying to fine-tune rather than rebuild, first base has become the clearest place to shop. [Read more 🡒]