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It is not hyperbole to say that by signing Juan Soto away from the Yankees while giving him the largest contract for any athlete ever, the Mets made the biggest move in the history of the franchise — impacting the future of New York baseball forever.
By bringing in the generational Soto, the Mets have announced that they’re all-in. That this is the start of them attempting to be perennial World Series contenders.
The signings of Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes for the starting rotation preceded the Soto deal, meaning the Mets have completed a solid chunk of their offseason work. But by my count, it seems that they have only 16 locks for the Opening Day 26-man roster.
So there is still a lot for New York to do between now and spring training, the bulk of which will likely be completed over the next month. And now is the time to remain as aggressive as possible. You don’t add a player like Soto and then take your foot off the gas.
Here’s what the Mets’ to-do list should be now that the Winter Meetings are over…
Find a first baseman (or third baseman)
The 10,000 pound Polar Bear in the room is Pete Alonso, whose free agency and buzz surrounding it has been very quiet — at least in terms of leaks about interested teams.
All it takes is one overly aggressive suitor (Angels? Mariners? Giants?) to send Alonso’s market into a stratosphere the Mets wouldn’t be comfortable going. But if his contract demands remain reasonable, it makes all the sense in the world for the Mets to bring him back — think something like a five-year deal for between $125 million and $150 million.
Alonso has been a tremendous Met, is a fan favorite, is one of the best power hitters in baseball who isn’t just a masher, and would be a terrific choice to help protect Soto in their new-look lineup. If it happens, great. If not, the Mets will have to pivot. And things could get especially complicated if Alonso’s decision drags on too long, which could potentially force the Mets to go in a different direction.
If the Mets wind up moving on from Alonso, they would seemingly have two options — find a new first baseman or add a new third baseman and shift Mark Vientos to first base.
Christian Walker makes the most sense as a free agent option to replace Alonso, and with him entering his age-34 season, he might only require a three-year deal. Walker would bring with him a potent bat and Gold Glove defense.
Another option is trading for Cody Bellinger to play first, but his market appears to be heating up — and there could be a resolution soon, potentially with him winding up on the Yankees.
As far as third base, Alex Bregman could be a strong fit. But reporting indicates he could choose a new team in the coming days. Elsewhere, Nolan Arenado is available via trade, but his offense has been trending down the last few seasons.
Either way, the Mets need one more big bat, whether it’s Alonso or not.
Add a legitimate starting pitcher or two
The Mets have four locks for the 2025 rotation — Kodai Senga, Holmes, Montas, and David Peterson. And while their depth (including Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill, and Jose Butto) is solid, they need at least one more legitimate starting pitcher — if not two.
Blackburn is coming off surgery to address leaking spinal fluid, making his readiness for Opening Day somewhat iffy, Megill has been wildly inconsistent, and Butto could be ticketed for the bullpen — even though he’ll report to camp as a starter.
To put it simply, the Mets — who are expected to use a six-man rotation — are short in the rotation right now. And even their four locks come with question marks, including Senga’s health with him a year removed from a season lost due to injury, and Holmes’ transition from reliever to starter.
David Stearns was coy during the Winter Meetings about New York’s rotation search, saying that adding another starter isn’t a “necessity.” But he suggested toward the end of the meetings that the team would add at least one more arm.
Although Mets target Garrett Crochet was dealt to the Red Sox on Wednesday, there are still a bunch of very intriguing trade possibilities, including Framber Valdez of the Astros, Dylan Cease of the Padres, and Luis Castillo of the Mariners. And Stearns has expressed a willingness to trade top prospects in the right deal this offseason — something that would be necessary in order to obtain Valdez or Cease.
On the free agent market, the best fits include Walker Buehler, Nick Pivetta, and a reunion with Sean Manaea. Of those three, Buehler would offer ace upside on what is expected to be a short-term deal that includes opt-outs.
The wild card here is Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, but he won’t sign until the middle or end of January. That means the Mets have to proceed as if they’re not landing him, and view it as a bonus if they do.
Bolster the bullpen
The Mets had interest in the high-upside but oft-injured Jonathan Loaisiga before he re-signed with the Yankees, but there are still plenty of intriguing bullpen arms on the free agent market.
Less expensive options with tons of promise include Ryne Stanek (who was strong for the Mets during their run to the NLCS), A.J. Minter, and Jose Leclerc.
And if the Mets decide to turn to one of the top arms out there, Carlos Estevez, Tanner Scott, and Jeff Hoffman are still available.
There are also intriguing trade options such as Devin Williams, who is expected to be moved this offseason by the cost-conscious Brewers.
As things currently stand, the Mets have just three locks for the ‘pen. So there is plenty of work to be done.
Edwin Diaz will be the closer, Dedniel Núñez (if back healthy as expected) should be a key setup arm, and Reed Garrett will be a factor. Meanwhile, Butto could be an important cog if the Mets keep him in a relief role instead of shifting him back to the rotation.
Decide what to do with Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil
Per multiple reports, the Mets are open to trading Marte, and are willing to eat some of his salary in order to help facilitate a deal.
The 36-year-old Marte, who will earn $20.75 million in 2025 during what is the final year of the four-year deal he signed before the 2022 season, no longer has a regular outfield spot.
New York’s outfield will feature Brandon Nimmo in left, Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor in center, and Soto in right. That leaves Marte as perhaps the team’s primary designated hitter and an extra outfielder.
As far as McNeil, he could be the regular second baseman. But New York has plenty of other options for second, including Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty. Then there’s Jett Williams, who could be knocking on the door at some point during the summer.
But the Mets would be selling low on McNeil, and the above players all have question marks (and one or more of them could potentially be dealt this offseason). So it probably makes sense for the Mets to keep McNeil for now.
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