3 more New York Mets who won't be back after brutal NLCS defeat: Beyond Alonso

With the New York Mets officially eliminated from the postseason, all eyes will be on the team's front office this winter as they navigate what is sure to be a costly free-agency period. Keeping Pete Alonso will be easier said than done, given Alonso's new agent, Scott Boras, and how much he likes to drag things out to get top dollar for his clients.

The Mets can afford to pay Alonso's price tag, but they can't wait for Boras to accept a deal late in the offseason while other top names fly off the board. Sean Manaea, Ryne Stanek, and Jesse Winker were all mentioned as players set to depart the roster this winter, but more will be joining them in free agency. Here are three more Mets that won't be back in 2025.

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3. Keeping Jose Quintana won't be easy for the Mets

Jose Quintana had two good years in a New York Mets uniform. He posted numbers of 3.57 in 2023 and 3.75 in 2024, but his 4.56 FIP this season showed he was the beneficiary of some good luck along the way. Although it was the most innings he has thrown since 2019, The Mets' rotation needs are significant, and they aren't going to be keen on bringing back somebody who looks like they may be regressing, at least not with all the other top options out there.

The Mets have an astonishing $88,225,000 coming off the books in expiring contracts and, therefore, have plenty of financial muscle to flex in top-dollar contracts. It's unknown how aggressive Steve Cohen will be this time. Still, with the team narrowly missing a World Series berth, you can expect those free-agent dollars to be prioritized toward building a top-tier starting rotation like that of the Dodgers.

2. Adam Ottavino is on the outs with the Mets

After finishing the season with a 4.34 ERA, you can bet that the Mets will look elsewhere for bullpen help this winter. Though Ottavino's $4.5 million annual contract didn't break the bank, his production in 2024 was a far cry from his 2.06 and 3.21 ERAs from 2022 and 2023. Admittedly, Ottavino was better in the second half of the year, posting a 3.43 ERA, but the Mets front office will want to use their dollars wisely, and can ill afford to miss by not strengthening a bullpen that posted a 4.03 ERA, 17th best in the league.

Given all the relievers available this offseason, look for the Mets to take a younger approach and bank on future upside rather than past success. Ottavino will be entering his age-39 season next year, and although he'll likely land a deal somewhere, it won't be in the Big Apple, where the Mets will be more focused at the top of free agency.

1. J.D. Martinez was a nice pickup, but doesn't play into Mets future

From 2014-2023, J.D. Martinez posted a slash of .293/.359/.550, reaching the 30 HR plateau four times and recording 100 RBIs five times in that stretch. In 2024, after a solid resurgent year with the Dodgers, Martinez slashed just .235/.320/.406 with 16 HRs and 69 RBIs with the Mets. If bringing back Alonso is going to be one of the team's primary focuses this year, it'll be interesting to see what the team does with its DH position.

Martinez likely didn't do enough this year to garner another one-year contract in New York, so don't be surprised when the front office decides to allocate those funds elsewhere. The Mets will spend most of their time looking at Alonso and options to fill the holes in the starting rotation to do it. At age 37, after a down year, It's hard to envision a scenario where Martinez is part of the plan for the future.