Once Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did not agree to an extension with the Toronto Blue Jays by the time his self-imposed deadline hit, it felt likely that the star first baseman was going to depart in free agency after the 2025 campaign. And the New York Mets felt like a realistic landing spot: They're fully in win-now mode, have Pete Alonso likely to enter free agency after the season, and have an owner in Steve Cohen willing to spend whatever it takes to field a winner in Queens.
Well, Guerrero Jr. wound up abandoning that self-imposed deadline and signed a massive 14-year deal worth $500 million to remain in Toronto for likely the remainder of his playing career. With the Mets unable to lure him to Queens, they'll instead have to pivot to three backup plans.
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3) The Mets can pry Kyle Schwarber away from their division rivals
Kyle Schwarber signed a four-year deal to join the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2022 campaign and has been one of the most prolific power hitters in the game ever since. Schwarber's 135 home runs since the start of the 2022 season are tied with Shohei Ohtani and trail only Aaron Judge for the most in the Majors.
With how dynamic and imposing Schwarber is at the plate, why shouldn't the Mets want him? Sure, he has limitations in terms of hitting for average, playing the field, and running the bases, but the DH spot exists. The Mets can simply use Schwarber in that spot just about every day as the Phillies have for much of his tenure there and watch him hit dingers. I mean, can you imagine adding Schwarber to a lineup that has Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo?
At 32 years old with his limitations, Schwarber likely isn't looking at a very lengthy deal. Signing him would make their offense even more potent while simultaneously weakening one of their biggest competitors.
2) Dylan Cease would give the Mets the frontline starting pitcher they desperately need
The 2025 Mets are stacked position player-wise and have a terrific bullpen. The team's major weakness right now is the rotation: The Mets have a good amount of depth, which has allowed them to remain afloat despite a bevy of pitching injuries, and they have a good amount of upside with the likes of Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and even Clay Holmes, but they lack a bonafide frontline arm. Dylan Cease can fill that void perfectly.
Cease is a player that the Mets were linked to all winter due to their rotation need, and assuming the San Diego Padres don't extend him, he's going to enter free agency this winter. The Mets should be all over him if he does hit the open market.
Command can elude him at times, but as his 28.4-percent strikeout rate over his career shows, he's one of the premier punchout artists in the game. He is also one of baseball's best workhorses: The right-hander has made at least 32 starts and thrown at least 165 innings in each of the last four seasons. For reference, the Mets have had just two starters reach those benchmarks in that four-year span, one of whom, Marcus Stroman, is no longer with the organization.
There's always a risk that comes with throwing major money at high-end starters, but Cease's durability and tremendous upside (two top-four Cy Young finishes in the last three seasons) make him a player worth pursuing.
1) Another Pete Alonso reunion just became more likely thanks to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s extension
Pete Alonso re-signed with the Mets after a long offseason of waiting, but his two-year deal includes an opt-out after the first year. Barring something catastrophic, Alonso is going to exercise that opt-out and test free agency for a second straight winter.
The Mets could have pursued Guerrero Jr. heavily knowing that Alonso wasn't under contract, but with him off the board, all eyes are now on Alonso. Sure, the Mets could go out and sign a different corner infielder, but with Guerrero off the board, there is no better option.
Alonso wants to be in Queens, and the Mets should want him to stick around long-term. If he has a good year (he's already off to a good start) it would not be shocking to see a deal be reached especially with Guerrero no longer available.