New York Mets fans demanded that changes would be made after completing one of the worst collapses in MLB history during the 2025 season, and boy, has David Stearns answered the bell in that regard. He shattered virtually the entire core, trading Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil and allowing both Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso to sign elsewhere. To put this shake-up into perspective, David Peterson is now the longest-tenured Met, and there's a pretty decent chance that he, too, gets traded.
It's not as if Stearns has sat on his hands. The Mets have made moves, but their roster, outside of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, looks pretty unrecognizable, which is something the fan base cannot stand. Change can be good, though. Are the ones the Mets have made enough to make up for the very sizable gap between themselves and the two-time defending NL East champion Philadelphia Phillies? That can be debated. Let's dive in.
What moves have the Mets made so far?
Mets' Key Offseason Transactions | Date |
|---|---|
Designated RHP Frankie Montas for assignment | 11/18/15 |
Acquired 2B Marcus Semien from Rangers in exchange for OF Brandon Nimmo, cash | 11/24/25 |
Signed RHP Devin Williams to three-year, $51 million contract | 12/3/25 |
Claimed RHP Cooper Criswell off waivers from Red Sox | 12/5/25 |
Signed INF Jorge Polanco to two-year, $40 million contract | 12/16/25 |
Acquired RHP Yordan Rodriguez from Athletics in exchange for INF/OF Jeff McNeil, cash | 12/22/25 |
Signed RHP Luke Weaver to two-year, $22 million contract | 12/22/25 |
(You can read the full list of transactions, which includes Minor League contracts and Rule Five selections, at MLB.com.)
As mentioned above, most of this offseason's headlines have revolved around the team's subtractions. The Mets let several homegrown stars depart, hoping to improve their on-field production and change their clubhouse culture after a disastrous season. It'll be tough to replace the production of those who have left, but it's dishonest to say the Mets aren't trying.
The first major move made saw New York trade longtime stalwart Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien. This one-for-one deal is pretty heavily skewed in the Texas Rangers' favor on the surface, but a deeper look will show why the Mets did it. Stearns has been vocal in wanting to improve the team's defense, so replacing a mediocre corner outfielder (who should only get worse in the field as he ages) with a Gold Glover at second base makes a lot of sense, especially with Nimmo's offense taking a bit of a step back the past couple of seasons. Additionally, Semien's contract expires two years before Nimmo's, allowing the Mets to have more financial flexibility down the line.
Perhaps the most controversial move the Mets have made this winter saw the team replace Pete Alonso with Jorge Polanco, a player who is not nearly the slugger Alonso is and has not even finished a full inning at first base in his career. While I understand the concerns, only having to commit two years to Polanco, whose wRC+ (132) wasn't much lower than Alonso's (141) in 2025, made sense when Alonso got five. Even if Polanco won't hit as many home runs as Alonso, he's arguably more well-rounded as a hitter and he should be a better defensive first baseman than Alonso, who was one of the worst at the position.
The last area addressed is the bullpen. Diaz is gone, but Devin Williams was arguably the second-best reliever available, and the Mets gave him a three-year deal. He's coming off a down year, but his advanced metrics were on line with those from his dominant years with the Milwaukee Brewers, giving reason to believe he'll fully bounce back in 2026. Joining him in the bullpen is Luke Weaver, another high-end late-game reliever. Suddenly, with Williams, Weaver, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley, the back-end of the Mets' bullpen is pretty strong, even if they could use another arm or two for depth purposes.
Mets fans might not agree with Stearns pressing the reset button as hard as he did, but the core that was in place was not getting the job done. Shaking things up and changing the identity of the team could work, and it's hard to dislike any of the additions made thus far. Despite the moves made, it's clear that the Mets have more work to do. Here are the questions they have to answer.
Tough choices loom for the Mets
Can the Mets win the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes?
As underwhelming as this offseason has been for Mets fans, signing Kyle Tucker would change everything. Well, FanSided's Robert Murray reported on Tuesday that the Mets have made Kyle Tucker a short-term offer worth an average annual value of $50 million per year. It's unclear how many years the Mets have offered Tucker, but an AAV of $50 million is substantial nonetheless.
It's easy to see why the Mets are in on Tucker. He's a 28-year-old superstar in the middle of his prime who'd fit perfectly in their lineup behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. He had a rough second half and wasn't as strong defensively in 2025 as he had been in years past, but his rough second half could be attributed to him dealing with multiple injuries, and his defensive concerns could be attributed to playing at the spacious Wrigley Field. Even if Tucker isn't the defender he once was, he'd be an upgrade over Nimmo in that area, and a massive upgrade over both Nimmo and Alonso in the lineup.
Tucker is the best free agent available in this offseason's class. I'm skeptical that the Mets will be able to sign him to a short-term deal, especially when the Los Angeles Dodgers loom in the Tucker sweepstakes, but being able to sign him for minimal years without having to risk any sort of decline as he ages out of his prime would be the best-case scenario for New York.
If the Mets are serious about competing in 2026, this is the move they ought to make. It remains to be seen if Stearns can get it across the finish line.
Will the Mets get aggressive addressing their rotation?
We've seen the Mets make major moves to address their lineup and bullpen this offseason, but the same cannot be said about the rotation. This is a bit surprising, given the fact that starting pitching was the downfall of the 2025 Mets. It goes without saying that for the Mets to be serious contenders, they need to add a frontline starter.
Both Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez remain in free agency and can sign at any moment. There are red flags with both candidates, but both would be clear upgrades over the internal options the Mets have right now. On the trade market, the Mets could pursue rentals like Tarik Skubal or Freddy Peralta, or even push to acquire controllable starters like MacKenzie Gore or Joe Ryan.
Adding a frontline starter will make Mets fans feel better about the likely scenario of the Mets betting that Nolan McLean is the real deal, and guys who struggled last season like Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Sean Manaea will bounce back. Without adding certainty at the top of the rotation, it feels like the Mets would end their offseason without accomplishing their most important goal.
Will David Stearns be willing to get uncomfortable to land a marquee talent?
It made sense to let Alonso walk, knowing he got a five-year deal. It made sense to let Diaz walk, knowing he got the highest AAV a reliever has ever received. It made sense for the Mets to shy away from offering Dylan Cease more than $210 million or to not trade impactful prospects for Edward Cabrera.
With that being said, sometimes you need to get uncomfortable in the offseason to land players, and time and time again, Stearns has mostly been willing to only stick to his valuations. There have been exceptions to this, like when the Mets pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto and signed Juan Soto, but for the most part, doing things like parting with high-end prospects, committing long-term to older free agents or signing players with the qualifying offer attached have been against Stearns' M.O.
To win a Tucker bidding war, there's a pretty good chance he'll have to go beyond three years. To trade for a high-end starting pitcher, he's going to have to part with prospects. To sign Valdez or Suarez, he's going to have to commit major money while parting with qualifying offer compensation. Can he do these things? Absolutely. Whether he's willing to or not is a question Mets fans are asking.
How do the Mets stack up against the Phillies?
The Mets were the second-place finisher in last season's NL East division, but at 83-79, they were still 13.0 games back of the Phillies and were swept by their arch-rivals in a crucial September series at Citizens Bank Park. The Mets have had the better of the play in recent years at Citi Field and did eliminate the Phillies from the 2024 postseason, but make no mistake - the Phillies are better than the Mets right now as both teams are constructed.
The Phillies haven't added anyone of note to a lineup in need of bolstering, but even without that addition, they have tremendous high-end talent at the top of their lineup, arguably the best rotation in the National League, and an improved bullpen that'll feature a full season of Jhoan Duran. They're going to be very good in 2025, and are clear favorites to win another division title.
This can change in a hurry, though. The Phillies have one of the league's oldest rosters, and while they were able to re-sign Kyle Schwarber, they're likely to lose Ranger Suarez, and they might not make another big addition. What if the Mets are able to sign Tucker and land a high-end starter? Suddenly, the gap will be bridged a lot, if not entirely, especially if the guys like Manaea, Senga and Peterson bounce back.
As of now, the Mets are closer to third place in the division than first, but it's also mid-January. Pitchers and catchers don't report for another month. Opening Day isn't for another month and a half. There's ample time and options out there for Stearns to pounce and really make this team fun to watch in 2026, even without their beloved homegrown stars.
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