A few rival clubs have already nudged the New York Mets in a useful direction this offseason, even if that was never their intention.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays each made a move that could end up helping the Mets sort through their own winter plans. None of these decisions were made with New York in mind, but they all shift the board a little in the Mets’ favor.
Start with Milwaukee and Jake Bauers. The Brewers giving Bauers a qualifying offer all but shuts the door on the Mets pursuing him.
He’s the kind of player who could tempt a team if the price were right, but the qualifying offer changes that equation. It gives him a higher AAV than he probably should get, and if he puts together another big year at the plate, he’d be in line for a much larger payday.
That kind of setup should push plenty of teams away, and the Mets already have enough risk on their plate to avoid taking on more with Bauers.
Toronto handed the Mets a different kind of opening by declining to pick up Myles Straw’s option. The Blue Jays could have kept him for $8 million, but instead bought him out for $1.75 million.
Straw fits the profile of a player the Mets could use: a right-handed hitter with speed and defense, and someone who could slide into the role left behind by Tyrone Taylor. Nick Morabito didn’t look quite ready, and a one-year deal for Straw would be enough.
Then there’s Tampa Bay, which picked up Drew Rasmussen’s option and may have created another name for the Mets to keep an eye on. The Rays weren’t scared off by the $20 million they agreed to pay him in 2027, but that kind of commitment can still make him a trade candidate.
If Rasmussen were just a free agent, he might not line up as cleanly for the Mets in 2027. Instead, the situation now points toward a possible trade market.
The same could apply to Yandy Diaz at $13 million, who is also an outside possibility for New York. The Rays seem to have a way of trimming payroll every winter, and someone from that roster usually ends up moving.
If the Mets are going to chase pitching, David Stearns has shown a clear preference in how he operates. He’d make an exception for Tarik Skubal, and Rasmussen feels more like the kind of arm the current regime would target via trade rather than commit to long term.
In Other News...
Mets Are Finally Moving On From A Pitcher Fans Knew Too Well
David Peterson had become one of those familiar Mets fixtures by the time the 2026 season arrived, the longest tenured player on the roster and a pitcher the organization had watched grow from prospect to established arm over more than six seasons. But the year never really settled for him in New York, and his struggles eventually pushed the club to move him midseason to the Chicago Cubs, ending a run that had stretched across multiple front-office eras and plenty of turnover around him.
Peterson did show some improvement after the trade, enough to remind teams why his name had lingered in the conversation for so long. Now he is headed into free agency for the first time, and the timing adds another layer of uncertainty with looming CBA negotiations expected to shape the market. For the Mets, it is another sign that a once-familiar chapter is closing, even if the next one for Peterson is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Risk Letting A Dangerous Bat Slip To A Rival
The Mets offseason priorities are starting to come into focus, and for now Teruaki Sato does not appear to be at the top of the list. According to The Athletic, New York is less inclined to chase the Japanese slugger this winter, with Bo Bichette having opted into his 2027 deal and the organization already carrying a group of young infield prospects in the minors. Sato, one of the premier power bats in Japans NPB, has drawn attention around the league, including from the Phillies, Dodgers and Yankees.
For the Mets, the calculation seems to be less about the players talent than about timing and roster fit. Their bigger push is expected to come on the pitching side, though that does not necessarily close the door on Sato completely. If the market shifts or ownership decides to get more aggressive, New York could still circle back, but for now the danger is obvious: a bat with real thump could end up landing with a rival while the Mets wait on a different part of the board. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Make A Costly Bullpen Bet Fans Would Debate
Adrian Morejons market is already shaping up to be one of the more interesting bullpen stories of the winter, and it is easy to see why the Mets are being mentioned as a possible fit. The left-handed reliever has been handed a qualifying offer that could pay him $23.15 million next season if he accepts, a figure that would set a new high-water mark for a pitcher in his role. Even without closing duties right now because of his current teams setup, his underlying performance has been strong enough to keep him squarely in the conversation.
For the Mets, the appeal is obvious even if the cost would spark debate. Morejon is viewed as a pitcher who should move into a closers job with his next team, and the expectation is that he can still get better from here. That makes the qualifying-offer attachment a real hurdle, but also the kind of bet a bullpen-needy club sometimes has to weigh if it wants impact rather than just depth. [Read more 🡒]