The Mets are only a little more than a week into the offseason, but the trade market already looks like the cleaner path for them to upgrade. With free agency thin and David Stearns armed with enough pieces to chase just about any kind of deal, New York has room to be aggressive without needing to swing for the fences.
First base and the rotation stand out as the most obvious places to shop, and one name that keeps resurfacing is Willson Contreras. The Mets were tied to him last winter when they were searching for a Pete Alonso replacement, and the Cardinals wound up sending him to Boston instead. Contreras rewarded that move with a big year, hitting .275 with 27 home runs and 81 RBI.
It is not exactly an obvious fit for the Red Sox to move him, but his public frustration after Boston’s Wild Card loss to the New York Yankees could make things complicated. With a 2028 club option on the contract, Boston might prefer to deal him now rather than risk clubhouse noise later.
Even so, the fit with the Mets is awkward, because New York’s biggest surplus is pitching and that happens to be an area where Boston is already strong. Stearns is expected to check in, but this may not get very far.
If the Mets want a cheaper first-base answer, Spencer Torkelson is another name to watch. Detroit could be open to moving him as a right-handed complement to Jared Young, especially if the Tigers decide his future price tag is not worth it. Torkelson hit .230 with 26 home runs and 77 RBI last season, solid production, but still a step short of the expectations that came with being the top overall pick in the 2020 draft.
He is under club control for two more years, though his arbitration number is set to climb after making just over $4 million in 2026. That could push Detroit toward a deal, and one possible framework would send Brett Baty to the Tigers in exchange. Detroit would get a player who could help replace departing free agent Gleyber Torres at second base, while the Mets would land a platoon partner for Young without committing to a multi-year free-agent contract like Ty France or Alec Bohm might require.
Seattle is another club worth monitoring. There has been buzz that the Mariners could shop pitching to help their offense, and Logan Gilbert fits that conversation. He is heading into his final year of control, and with two top pitching prospects close to the majors, Seattle may be willing to listen.
Gilbert’s 2025 season was a step back by his standards, but the numbers still show why he would draw attention: 12-11, a 3.73 ERA, 205 strikeouts in 186 innings, and at least 32 starts for the fourth time in five years. For a Mets rotation that has not gotten enough length from its starters, that kind of reliability matters.
The sticking point is what Seattle would want back. The Mets could offer infield prospects near the majors, such as Emilien Pitre, or pieces from the big league roster. But Jon Morosi of MLB Network recently reported that clubs may be less eager to take prospects for players with one year of control left because of the uncertainty around the 2027 season, which could make the asking price higher than Stearns wants to go.
Houston presents a different kind of opportunity. After a Wild Card exit and an 81-81 season despite winning the AL West, the Astros could be headed toward either a soft retool or a full rebuild, depending on how new GM Randy Flores wants to handle an aging roster.
That is where Christian Walker comes in. He has one year left on his deal at $20 million and will be 36 in the 2027 season, but he still brings the kind of steady production teams can use at first base. Last season he hit 29 homers, drove in 87 runs, batted .227 and held up well defensively.
If Houston wants to move the money, the Mets could try to structure a deal around Sean Manaea and a secondary piece. That would give the Astros more pitching depth while giving New York a more established first baseman and allowing Young to slide into a utility role that may suit him better.
The Twins are also in the mix, especially now that the Mets have brought former Minnesota president of baseball operations Derek Falvey into their front office. Minnesota sits in a tough spot: not good enough to chase a division title without major spending, and not obviously committed to going all-in financially.
That makes Joe Ryan a name to keep close. He can become a free agent after the season, and the Twins could either ride it out and deal him later or move him now and maximize the return. The Mets have pieces that could interest Minnesota, including a starting infielder like Baty and a controllable starter like Zac Thornton.
Ryan would fit neatly into the kind of rotation New York could build if it lands Tarik Skubal in free agency, pairing him with Skubal and Nolan McLean to form a much deeper staff.
In Other News...
Mets Prospects Are Sending Very Different Signals In Arizona
The Arizona Fall League has offered a mixed read on a handful of Mets prospects over the past week, with some players stacking productive outings while others have been harder to pin down. The game results from Nov. 2 through Nov. 8 have given the organization a fresh look at where several young names stand, and the season-to-date numbers have started to separate those who are making a clear case from those still searching for rhythm.
Bruin Agbayani, Boston Baro, Cole Mathis, Irving Cota, Brendan Girton, Ryan Lambert, Peyton Prescott and Calvin Ziegler have all been part of that uneven picture, with batting and pitching lines that point in different directions. For the Mets, that is the point of the AFL in the first place: a chance to see which prospects are building momentum, which ones are simply getting reps, and which ones still have a little more proving to do before the winter wraps up. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Face An Early Trade Mistake At GM Meetings
The GM Meetings are set to put the Mets in a familiar spot, balancing present-day needs against a roster that still has plenty of moving parts. Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez are both part of that conversation, and the front office is weighing whether to use one of those young pieces to bring back help that fits a more immediate need, especially on the mound.
What makes this stretch tricky is the timing. With an impending lockout hanging over the sport, the Mets may not get many clean chances to reshape the roster later, which raises the stakes on every trade discussion now. That is why the idea of chasing short-term starting pitching rentals is being viewed with caution, even as names like Reid Detmers surface in broader talks and the pressure to make the right call only grows. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Bullpen Squeeze Leaves David Stearns Facing Harder Choices
Luis Garcias exit after only six games was a reminder of how little room there is for error in a Mets bullpen that was already packed when the offseason began. Signed as a free agent last winter, Garcia never got much of a runway before the club designated him for assignment, and his departure only sharpened the roster squeeze David Stearns inherited.
The bigger issue now is flexibility, or the lack of it. With no impending free agents to clear space and several pitchers still under review because of availability and performance concerns, the Mets have to sort out who fits where before they can even think about adding to the mix. Setup roles and the ninth inning are part of the conversation, but the more immediate challenge is simply finding enough breathing room to make the bullpen work. [Read more 🡒]