The Mets already know the shape of the problem. David Stearns has said plainly that next year has to be better than this one, and with New York sitting among the worst teams in Major League Baseball, the offseason is shaping up as a chance for real change.
At the deadline, the Mets cleared out most of the roster, but Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto stayed put. That leaves the organization with a core still in place and plenty of room for movement around it.
And if there’s one area that keeps staring back at them, it’s pitching. New York has spent enough time trying to solve that puzzle to know it still needs another impact arm.
That’s where Joe Ryan comes in.
Ryan is already being viewed as a likely trade candidate, and he’d fit the Mets’ search for help on the mound. One MLB writer recently pointed to him as a name to watch, arguing that Minnesota may eventually have to move him because of his contract situation.
“2027 is Ryan's final year under club control, meaning the Twins will either need to trade him for something at some point or come to terms with the likelihood of him walking in free agency for nothing more than a draft pick. An extension is possible, but is a Minnesota team that's held back from spending much of late really going to hand a ton of money to a 30-year-old who has already had an elbow scare this season? Unlikely.
“They could hold onto him into the season and see how they perform, but that raises the risk of him suffering another injury and tanking his value for good. There's reason to believe they'll get an offer good enough to finally move him this winter,” Zachary Rotman wrote.
The Twins’ choice not to deal Ryan at this deadline wasn’t necessarily the wrong one. Minnesota still has a path to a playoff push, and if everything clicks, even a World Series run isn’t out of the question.
If the second half goes sideways and the Twins miss the postseason, that judgment will look different in hindsight. But for now, keeping Ryan wasn’t some mistake. For a small-market club that still wants to win, holding onto a player like that makes sense.
In Other News...
Mets Trade Deadline Return Already Faces Pressure To Pay Off Fast
The Mets used the trade deadline to make a low-risk move with a long-tail payoff, dealing Huascar Brazoban to the White Sox in exchange for two prospects who fit different timelines. Zach Franklin looks like the more advanced piece, the one closest to the majors and already on the radar as a Rule 5-eligible arm this winter, while Gabe Davis brings a deeper developmental project after uneven results in Double-A. For a team trying to keep building without losing sight of the present, it was the kind of swap that could look smart if even one side of it comes through.
The pressure, though, is already baked in because the return is being judged almost as soon as it lands. Franklins proximity gives the Mets a faster read on whether the deal can produce help, while Davis has a much longer road and will have to show real progress before this starts to feel like more than a depth gamble. The front office and everyone else watching this club know the window for calling it a win is not endless, with the deadline haul expected to justify itself before the end of 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Be Drifting Back Toward A Familiar Rotation Gamble
Under David Stearns, the Mets have not been shy about chasing pitching with upside, even when the path comes with real risk. Thats the backdrop for their latest rotation conversation, as the club continues to weigh aggressive options while other contenders, like the Dodgers, have already made their own splash with Tarik Skubal.
One name that fits the Mets general appetite for talent is Kris Bubic, a left-hander who would add intrigue to their long-range plans. The appeal is obvious enough, but so is the uncertainty, since his health situation makes the timing murky and leaves the club with a familiar question: how much patience are they willing to buy into while shaping a rotation that is supposed to hold up down the line? [Read more 🡒]