If the Mets are going to reshape their 2027 roster, the priority list starts at the very top of the rotation. Not just any starter, either.
The kind of arm that walks into a season as a true Cy Young threat. In free agency, that kind of pitcher is rare, and the article points to Tarik Skubal as the one obvious name.
But this isn’t framed as a Skubal-or-bust search. The Mets can still strengthen the rotation by finding the right mix of quality and quantity.
Once that major piece is in place, there are three more outside additions that stand out as necessary.
First up is a right-handed hitting first baseman. The expectation is that Jared Young would handle the left-handed side of a platoon, which leaves the right-handed half unresolved.
Mark Vientos, the piece argues, can’t keep filling that role. Alec Bohm is one of the examples mentioned as the kind of player who would count as a clear upgrade, even if the reaction wouldn’t be over the top.
The challenge is finding someone willing to accept a smaller slice of the job. Would Bohm do it?
Ty France, the article says, definitely won’t. Paul Goldschmidt might not have another choice.
The Mets could also get creative, and there’s at least a hope that whatever they try works out better than Jorge Polanco.
The next need is another right-handed bat, this time in the outfield. Nick Morabito is not viewed as a replacement for Tyrone Taylor yet, though there is plenty to like about him as a future part of the depth chart.
He brings speed and defense, but the bat may need more time. The article suggests he is not yet someone to trust against left-handed pitching at the major league level.
That makes a veteran fit important in the short term. A reunion with Taylor is one possibility, or the Mets could look at a similar type.
With A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge able to split center field, the club does not need to force a defense-only outfielder into a bigger role.
The target should be someone who can offer a little pop and handle the corners. The names floated include Randal Grichuk, Lane Thomas, and Ramon Laureano, with non-tendered players also potentially entering the mix.
The final necessity is a high-leverage reliever. The bullpen does not need to be rebuilt from scratch, and David Stearns is credited with putting together a workable group of lower-cost arms. Daniel Duarte, Nate Lavender, Dedniel Nunez, and others could cover a lot of innings, while Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea battle for innings and Devin Williams starts the year as closer.
But there is still a gap for the late innings, the sort of arm who functions like Luke Weaver. Adrian Morejon is identified as the top free-agent reliever, with Jason Adam also fitting the bill.
Adam’s numbers stand out: a 2.68 ERA in nine big league seasons, and since 2024 he has gone 17-8 with a 2.08 ERA. At 35, he also profiles as the kind of pitcher who could make sense on a one- or two-year deal.
In Other News...
Mets Rotation Overhaul Could Put One Young Arm In Trouble
The Mets have already spent the trade deadline reshaping the roster, and the next order of business is clear: the starting rotation needs help. David Stearns has said as much, making it plain that the club expects to add arms before long and keep pushing for more stability behind the games already on the calendar.
For Zac Thornton, that creates a tougher road into spring and beyond. The young right-hander is in the mix now, but any meaningful rotation upgrade could tighten the competition around him and leave his place far from secure. A move like that would not necessarily be a setback so much as part of the Mets larger plan to keep developing him while sorting out a staff that still needs more depth and certainty. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Already Have A Quiet Devin Williams Backup Plan
The late-season conversation around the Mets has had a familiar shape: Devin Williams was supposed to be part of the answer at closer, but the results have not matched the role, while Kodai Senga has given the club a different look in the high-leverage mix. With the bullpen picture still unsettled, the Mets have started to examine lower-profile options who might matter more than they did in spring, especially if the ninth inning remains open going into next season.
Nate Lavender is one of those arms worth keeping in the back of the mind. He has shown enough strike-throwing and miss bats to stand out as a potential relief piece, even if he is not in the current closer conversation, and the appeal is obvious for a team that wants more answers in the pen. The velocity is not eye-catching, but the Mets may not need a radar-gun headline if the rest of the profile keeps playing the same way. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Find Smart Rotation And Outfield Help In One Market
The Mets are going to spend plenty of time this winter weighing how to reinforce both the rotation and the outfield, and the upcoming market could present a few interesting ways to do it. San Diegos Michael King stands out because of the way he has pitched and the kind of arm the Mets could use behind their front-line starters, while Chicagos Matthew Boyd offers another rotation path if the club wants a different type of left-handed stability. On the position-player side, Torontos Myles Straw is part of the same conversation, giving the Mets a possible outfield fit if they want speed and defense to round out the roster.
What makes this market intriguing is that none of these possibilities depends on a simple free-agent shopping trip. Each name comes with contract wrinkles that could shape whether he is actually available, and that uncertainty is exactly why the Mets will be watching closely. If even one of these players reaches the market, it could give New York a smarter way to address more than one need without chasing separate high-end fixes in every area. [Read more 🡒]