It goes without saying that Juan Soto's first season with the New York Mets after signing a 15-year, $765 million deal didn't go as planned. Soto performed like his usual MVP-caliber self after a bit of a sluggish start, but the surrounding team faltered. Despite sitting at as many as 21 games over .500, the Mets pulled off one of the most embarrassing collapses in MLB history and missed the playoffs entirely.
For the Mets to bounce back, it's abundantly clear that changes must be made. Yet, in spite of that, Soto made it clear that he wants David Stearns to re-sign both Pete Alonso and Starling Marte in free agency. While it wouldn't be a bad thing if the Mets brought those guys back, the last thing the Mets can afford to do is completely run this thing back. With that in mind, here's what the Mets should do.
Soto strongly advocates for re-signing Alonso and Marte. On Pete: “I hope we can have more times to come and more fun together.” On Marte: “You need a guy that helps you the most through those tough times and tries to bring the team back to where it's supposed to be”
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) November 14, 2025
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Re-signing Pete Alonso isn't a bad idea, but the Mets should move on from Starling Marte
Re-signing Pete Alonso is far from a guarantee, but it does make a lot of sense. Alonso, as Soto pointed out, is one of the premier power hitters in the game. Yes, he has his defensive shortcomings, but moving on from Alonso's bat is easier said than done. The Mets should not meet Alonso's asking price, but if they get him at a friendlier rate, much like last winter, that'd work.
As for Marte, though, it feels like his Mets career has run its course. Marte was the All-Star the Mets envisioned in 2022 in the first year of a four-year deal he inked with New York, but he's struggled to stay healthy and productive since. To be fair, Marte had a solid year in 2025, posting a 111 OPS+ in 98 games, but he also played a total of 12 games and 65 innings in the field. He was primarily on the short side of a DH platoon.
Leadership is vital, and Marte unquestionably provides that, but he isn't reliable enough to play the field and isn't a good enough hitter to DH regularly. Bringing him back wouldn't be the worst thing in the world because of the leadership he provides, but again, changes have to be made — letting him go feels like an easy decision.
Mets need to pursue these offseason moves to win the NL East in 2026
Sign Kyle Schwarber
I, as a Mets fan, love Pete Alonso, but what exactly is the draw when it comes to signing him when a guy like Kyle Schwarber is out there? Alonso is a great hitter, but Schwarber is even better. I mean, he just finished 2025 as the NL MVP runner-up after hitting 56 home runs and driving in 132 runs for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Sure, Schwarber doesn't play the field at all at this stage of his career, but if we're being honest, Alonso shouldn't be at first base much anymore either. Alonso offers great protection for Soto, but Schwarber is even scarier for opposing pitchers.
Odds are, the Mets won't pony up to sign both Alonso and Schwarber. If the Mets can only land one, it should be the better player, Schwarber, whether Soto wants that or not.
Sign or trade for an ace
What this Mets team needs even more than a power bat to complement Soto in their order is an ace. A lot went wrong for the Mets in 2025, but the biggest reason this team collapsed was their rotation being impossible to rely on. Nolan McLean should have a big year in 2026, and the Mets can reasonably bet on bounce-backs from guys like Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea if they can stay healthy, but this team desperately needs an ace.
A trade for Tarik Skubal would be the ultimate dream scenario, but I'm not sure how realistic that is right now. Could the Mets pull off a trade for a different frontline starter like Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantara? Perhaps. Could the Mets sign a big-time arm like Dylan Cease or Tatsuya Imai? Certainly.
What's clear is that David Stearns is going to have to get out of his comfort zone to land a high-end arm, whether that means trading prospects he's hesitant to part with or giving an extra year or two to a starting pitcher. Without a major rotation improvement, it's hard to see this team going anywhere.
Re-sign Edwin Diaz
As great as Alonso is, it feels like the most important player the Mets have to re-sign is Edwin Diaz. Rarely are relievers more valuable than middle-of-the-order bats, but Diaz is that good. He's arguably the best reliever in the game right now. He's going to get more money than a 31-year-old reliever probably should, and there are a good number of alternatives, but still - how is this team going to be better without Diaz?
Diaz posted a 1.63 ERA in 62 appearances and converted 28 of 31 save opportunities. He was so dominant that he had a sub-1.00 ERA in his final 50 appearances once the calendar flipped to May. When you're trying to win, that isn't a guy you comfortably let walk.
This is another instance where David Stearns will have to get uncomfortable to get a deal done, but it truly does feel like a no-brainer.