The Mets’ offseason could be a lot shorter than the one they just lived through, but only if they get the Bo Bichette decision right first.
Bichette’s opt-out is the hinge point. If he stays, New York can keep this winter from turning into a full-scale roster overhaul.
If he leaves, bringing him back should be the easiest call the Mets make. He’s settled in as a competent third baseman, gives them the backup shortstop they need on the 26-man roster, and even leaves open the possibility of handling second base down the line.
His rough year was mostly about a bad start, and the alternatives don’t exactly make the Mets feel better.
Assuming Bichette is back under team control, the rest of the plan gets surprisingly simple: four moves, and one of them starts with an ace.
Tarik Skubal is the obvious target. In a winter with so few impact pitchers available, this is the kind of chance you don’t let slip away.
The Mets can’t count on landing him, because life rarely cooperates that neatly, but the logic is straightforward: if you can sign an ace instead of trading away prospects for one, you do it and sort out the bill later. Opportunities like this don’t come around often.
The bullpen needs a major arm too, and Adrian Morejon fits the bill. He’s a lefty with closer upside, and that matters because the Mets still need someone they can trust in that role.
Devin Williams didn’t get the job done, and while Kodai Senga has flashed enough to make you look twice, New York can’t build a full season around hope there. Morejon is the best left-handed reliever on the market, and he might be the cleanest way to buy some late-inning stability.
The only real question is whether the Mets are willing to have three relievers making $15+ million.
Another fit comes in the form of Luis Arraez, even if he doesn’t scream “Mets” at first glance. He’s no longer just the guy with a bat and not much glove; with the San Francisco Giants this year, he developed into a really good second baseman.
For the Mets, that opens up more doors at second, first base, and DH. They already have enough power elsewhere to live with his lack of pop.
What they’ve missed is a hitter who puts the ball in play at a ridiculous rate and can carry a .300 average like it’s nothing. Bat him in front of or behind Juan Soto and let it go to work.
The final move is less about a name and more about solving a problem: find a right-handed first baseman, and use a bad contract to get him if that’s what it takes. Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco all fit the “bad contract” label, though Polanco might be too difficult to move.
Semien would probably require an even worse or longer deal in return. Manaea-for-Christian Walker was already a discussion last offseason, and the basic idea still holds, even if it takes more players and cash to make it happen.
If a trade doesn’t line up, the free-agent route is there too, with Ty France and Paul Goldschmidt as names that make sense. The challenge is squeezing that into a roster that already has Semien and Polanco while also trying to figure out Jared Young.
There would still be other loose ends after that. The Mets could use more outfield depth and probably some help on the infield too.
But those are finishing touches, not the core of the winter. David Stearns has already shown he’ll make bold, controversial moves, and with this many limited free-agent options after such a poor season, he shouldn’t be locked into too many players anyway.
In Other News...
Mets Deadline Haul Could Answer Several Roster Questions Faster Than Expected
The trade deadline gave the Mets a much deeper look at their future, and the list of newcomers is long enough to matter right away. Jefferson Rojas, Sammy Stafura, Emilien Pitre, Gabe Davis, Luke Gabrysh, Billy Amick, Gary Gill Hill and Aidan Smith all arrived as part of a prospect haul that reshapes the organizations depth chart in several spots, from the infield to the mound.
Billy Amick is the name that may draw the quickest attention because of the potential fit at first base, but he is far from the only one who could force the issue. The broader appeal here is timing: several of the players brought in at the deadline are now positioned to move through the system on a track that could answer roster questions sooner than expected, with one scenario even putting every prospect from the Freddy Peralta trade in the majors by 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Bichette Gives Mets Fans A Huge Offseason Decision To Watch
Bo Bichettes future has already become an offseason subplot worth monitoring in Queens, even with the 2026 season still ahead. The Mets are tied to his contract through a player option worth $42 million for the 2027 season, and that looming choice gives the organization a possible path to keep one of the games most recognizable hitters in place.
Bichette is expected to wait until October, after the 2026 season, to decide whether to exercise the option or test free agency. The deadline comes five days after the World Series, and because the Mets are not in this years postseason, the clock on that decision feels a little more distant for now, even if the discussion around it is already starting to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Brett Batys Hot Stretch Isnt Ending One Big Mets Debate
Brett Batys recent run has given the Mets exactly the kind of jolt they hoped to see when they handed him more responsibility, even if it has come with a nagging left knee issue in the background. Over his last 18 games, he has hit .357/.404/.667, a stretch that has helped reinforce why the club keeps giving him chances while also using him as a super utility option around the infield.
The problem for the Mets is that one hot stretch does not settle the bigger question around Batys role. His long-term consistency and development are still open issues, and the organization has other young infield prospects who could eventually be in the mix for playing time. For now, Baty is making a strong case to stay involved, but the larger debate about where he fits in the clubs future is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]