One of the biggest items on the Mets’ offseason shopping list is plain to see: the rotation needs help. A frontline starter sits at the top of the wish list, but New York also needs another dependable arm in the middle of the staff.
David Stearns made that clear at his end-of-season press conference when he said he would like to have 10-12 starting pitchers between the majors and minors entering 2027. And while this winter’s free-agent market does not offer a long lineup of enticing starters, Michael Soroka stands out as a name that fits the Mets well.
Soroka is no stranger to Mets fans. He came through the Braves system, reached the majors in 2018, and immediately looked like a future ace. In 29 starts that year, he put up a 2.68 ERA and finished second to Pete Alonso in the National League Rookie of the Year race.
Then came the injury saga. During a 2020 start against the Mets, Soroka tore his right Achilles tendon while trying to field a ground ball. Another Achilles tear during his recovery delayed his return to the majors until 2023.
After all of that, Soroka finally looked like himself again in 2026. Working 116 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the right-hander posted a 3.41 ERA with 114 strikeouts and a 1.09 WHIP.
He now enters the offseason with a $10 million mutual option from Arizona that is expected to be declined, and coming off that season at age 29, he looks positioned to chase a multi-year deal. The Mets could be in that market.
Among the mid-rotation starters who may be available, Soroka might offer the most upside. Walker Buehler, Nick Martinez, Dustin May, and Tyler Mahle are also in the mix, with Mahle perhaps the most interesting after a pair of strong postseason starts. Still, Mahle’s career has been defined by injuries and inconsistency.
Soroka carries some of the same medical questions, but his case is different because his stuff took a real step forward. His fastball produced a +11 run value in 2026, and his breaking ball was even better at +8. Just as notable, his arm angle dropped from 33 degrees in 2025 to 26 degrees this season.
That kind of adjustment should sound familiar to the Mets. They saw Sean Manaea change his game in 2024 after making a similar tweak, and Soroka already appears to be trending in that direction. New York could be the right place for him to build on it.
There is also the contract angle. Soroka is likely to draw a multi-year offer, but his injury history and relatively limited track record could keep the term from getting too long. That opens the door for a deal the Mets have used before: something like three years with a high average annual value and player opt-outs.
Stearns has already worked this type of structure, pointing to the club’s willingness to use its financial power without locking itself into too much long-term risk. It is the kind of setup that could give Soroka security while leaving him a path back to free agency if he keeps pitching well.
And even if he does well enough to opt out after just one season, the Mets would still have internal options coming.
Soroka’s versatility only adds to the appeal. If he does not stick in the rotation, he has bullpen experience and could move there if needed.
Pairing him with a frontline starter would also buy time for the Mets’ younger arms to keep developing instead of being forced into heavy roles right away. Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton all impressed last season, but asking three inexperienced starters to carry an entire year would be a major gamble.
Soroka offers a cleaner balance: stability now, upside later, and enough flexibility to matter in more than one role. That is exactly the kind of fit the Mets should be looking for this offseason.
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