MLB Insider: Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and other questions the New York Mets must answer this offseason

This was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the New York Mets. Just ask Max Scherzer.

Before Scherzer was traded to the Texas Rangers at the 2023 trade deadline, then-Mets general manager Billy Eppler told Scherzer that it was going to be a “transition” season in 2024.

“His answer was that the team is now kind of shifting vision and that they’re looking to compete now for 2025 and 2026, and that 2024, that it was not going to be a reload situation in New York,” Scherzer said after being traded to the Rangers.

Instead, the Mets went on a dazzling run to the National League Championship Series in 2024. They defeated the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies before being eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS in six games. They saw the type of impact that president of baseball operations David Stearns and manager Carlos Mendoza will make in New York – and there should be increased optimism throughout the organization that the Mets will now be annual World Series contenders under their guidance.

Here’s an early look at the Mets’ offseason to-do list.

New York Mets’ free-agent targets

Every Mets offseason preview will include Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, and rightfully so.

The Mets should be one of the most aggressive bidders in the Soto sweepstakes. Alonso and the Mets should have many conversations in the offseason about a potential long-term deal. One thing to note: both players are represented by Scott Boras, who typically waits out the market in search of the most money. So, 1) Alonso is not a candidate to sign an extension before free agency and 2) their free agent markets could linger.

Key word to this offseason: patience.

There will be many teams after both players, with Soto likely to command a contract in the $500-600 million range while Alonso seems a sure bet to land a contract worth nine figures. It’s no guarantee that either player will come to New York. But with Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, one thing is certain: if he wants a player, no owner in baseball can outbid him.

In addition to Soto and Alonso, look for Stearns to continue with a similar model to what he built in Milwaukee: a roster that thrives on pitching and defense.

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Will the Mets be active in the trade market?

If there’s one thing that should be learned about David Stearns, it’s that he listens on almost anything and everything.

He will be involved in many trade conversations. He wants to collect as much information as possible to make as informed a decision as possible. It’s part of how he emerged as one of the best executives in baseball in Milwaukee. And now that he’s in New York, with an owner with infinitely more resources, he has the ability to swing bigger and be much more creative.

And coming off an NLCS appearance, you can expect Stearns to be aggressive in both the trade and free-agent markets. But every move of his will be calculated and come with a purpose. He won’t simply make a move to make a move.

What free agents should the Mets keep?

The list of free agents on the Mets’ roster include Pete Alonso, Jose Quintana, Luis Severino, J.D. Martinez, Harrison Bader, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Ryne Stanek, Drew Smith, Jesse Winker and Jose Iglesias. Sean Manaea has a $13.5 million player option that he will surely decline while Phil Maton has a $7.8 million club option that the Mets will surely not exercise.

The top priority will be Alonso. The Mets have a real chance to bring him back, but there will be other suitors that could include the Giants, Mariners and Cubs, among others. Manaea is a player who the Mets should attempt to bring back, but after a resurgent season, his market will be extensive. Iglesias was a revelation in New York, but will Stearns and Co. pay up? Bader fits the Mets’ model for an elite defensive center fielder, but after receiving only nine plate appearances in the postseason, appears headed elsewhere in free agency.