The polar bear is heading south. Are the Mets next?
Free agent first baseman Pete Alonso, the New York Mets’ franchise leader in home runs, has agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The contract, first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, brings an abrupt end to a hugely successful seven-year tenure in Queens for the towering slugger.
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Last winter, Alonso tested the open market, but unable to strike a long-term pact, he returned to the club that drafted him in 2016. Many believed a similar dynamic would play out this offseason. Instead, agent Scott Boras landed his client, who only trails Aaron Judge and Kyle Schwarber in long ball since 2019, a recording contract with a refreshingly aggressive Baltimore outfit.
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For the Mets, it’s the second shocking outing in as many days after Longtime closer Edwin Díaz reportedly signs with Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday. Add in the trade of outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in November, and the Mets parted ways with three of their five longest-tenured players in the span of a few weeks. Only Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil remain from the core that has defined the team’s recent history.
It’s clear that New York’s disastrous 2025 season convinced president of baseball operations David Stearns that a roster shakeup was necessary. But now the Mets faithful, sad to see three beloved players leave town, are growing nervous. The whole dynamic makes New York perhaps the most compelling team as this offseason ends first and heads to second.
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Here are the five questions that will define the rest of this very important Mets winter.
1. Who does the money go to?
The Mets finished 2025 with a payroll of around $340 million, the second-highest total in the sport behind the Dodgers. Currently, according to FanGraphs, that number sits at “only” $279 million. Given team owner Steve Cohen’s unlimited wealth, it’s hard to imagine the Mets cutting payroll in such a significant way after one of the most embarrassing seasons in recent memory.
Stearns has expressed his desire to modernize New York’s running prevention unit. It would then make sense to spend some of that coin on a starting pitcher. Three frontline weapons undoubtedly remain on the market: Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Japanese newcomer Tatsuya Imai. One of this trio will surely have to end the winter in blue and orange. Additionally, with former Brewers and Yankees closer Devin Williams already signed to a three-year, $51 million contract, the Mets need at least one more addition to the bullpen.
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Kyle Tucker, the consensus best player in the class, is another possible pivot, but locking two mediocre defenders in the corners of the outfield doesn’t seem to fit Stearns’ vision. Third baseman Alex Bregman, however, would make a lot of sense for the Mets. Either way, no single player will replace Alonso’s power output, but Cohen has enough money to enter 2026 as a World Series contender.
2. Can they pull off a successful operation?
Despite the disappointment of 2025, the Mets are a healthy organization. Stearns revitalized New York’s player development apparatus, helping make the system one of the best in baseball. Guys like Carson Benge and Jett Williams should bolster the lineup sooner rather than later. The Mets also have a plethora of talented young infielders at the big league level – Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña and Ronnie Mauricio – and not enough spots to play them. Then there’s the rookie pitching trio of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat.
This is all to say that if the Mets want to make a deal for a Tarik Skubal, a Ketel Marte or a MacKenzie Gore, they most certainly have the pieces. Skubal, the back-to-back Cy Young winner, would be the kind of award that would appease fans, but it remains unlikely that the Tigers will trade their ace this winter.
3. Who is the opening day center fielder?
With the team emphasizing defense again, it will be interesting to see who the Mets tap to fill the most important position in the outfield. Options currently on the roster include Tyrone Taylor and McNeil, who appear poised to take over some innings at first base following Alonso’s departure. And although Taylor has an above-average glove, his bat has reached worrying levels in 2025.
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This poses a problem for the Mets, who cannot turn to free agency to remedy this problem. Cody Bellinger is solid at center but fits best as an elite glove at corner. There’s arguably not really another option available, although Harrison Bader, coming off a career year, is a decent second-tier option. The Mets love Benge and Williams, both of whom can play center and don’t want to block their development. But the perspectives are fickle, unpredictable. Maybe Stearns is just content with Taylor as a placeholder until the young guys are ready.
4. Do they unload a veteran’s weapon?
The most damning development of the Mets’ 2025 season was the sudden implosion of what had been one of the best starting rotations in the game. This entire unit — except for the injured and released Frankie Montas — will be back for 2026. Rookie Nolan McLean has shined in a sample of eight starts and is the early favorite to get the ball on Opening Day. Beyond that, it’s a bit of a mess.
Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Clay Holmes are all 30 or older and are coming off horrible second halves. Bringing in an established free agent would only add another cook to a kitchen that must include Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat in one form or another. It’s never bad to have pitching depth, but this feels like a dynamic the Mets need to work their way through.
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5. How big is fan frustration really?
The mood in Queens right now is not good. Following such a disgraceful campaign by letting two franchise icons enter free agency because you balked at pricing is not going to motivate fans to purchase subscription packages. Last season, Steve Cohen made a public appeal to Mets fans to pack Citi Field. And they did, posting some of the best attendance numbers in the league. But unless Cohen, Stearns and Co. create a magic trick, the fan base will likely be a little lukewarm as 2026 approaches.
Whether this will motivate executives to do something flashy remains to be seen. Manager Carlos Mendoza often says that winning solves everything. Ultimately, if the Mets win, people will show up; if they don’t, the park will be half empty. So it goes. But the current state of affairs presents a stark contrast to the mood in Queens a winter ago, following the signing of Juan Soto.
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Stearns deserves credit for what he did with infrastructure and time, based on what he accomplished in Milwaukee. An offseason cannot be properly evaluated until it is over on opening day. But right now, with a strategy of deliberate passivity, the Mets front office isn’t exactly getting the fan base excited.
