The New York Mets turned one of the largest payrolls in baseball into just a 74-win team in 2026, leaving President of Baseball Operations David Stearns with a lot of work to do in the offseason. Stearns shared some of his thoughts on the year in his post-season press conference, but he wasn't completely transparent about what his full plan for the offseason could look like.
There are clear needs in the rotation and first base, while Bo Bichette's looming opt-out decision could radically alter what the 2027 roster looks like. With a sprint through the early offseason likely thanks to an impending lockout that would shut down all major league transactions, let's take a second to reset the Mets' top priorities as they begin a critical winter.
5. Clear out roster redundancies
This caveat applies more specifically to the offense, which has the potential to carry a full 13-man group before any necessary changes are made. While the outfield looks pretty solid for the Mets, they do have a few redundancies in the infield, as a lot of the Baby Mets' skill sets tend to overlap with each other.
It seems Brett Baty is staying put, so the obvious moves here are to move on from Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio, both of whom are out of minor league options. Finding players who can offer different skills and address different positions than those two will help the Mets form a more complete position player grouping that has versatility, speed and power.
4. Add bullpen help
The bullpen looked like it would need a lot more work after Stearns gutted the group at the trade deadline, but the unit remained a strength in the second half with a largely unheralded cast of characters. Kodai Senga's closing audition hinted at a strong fit as a reliever in 2027, while Dedniel Nunez, Nate Lavender, and Daniel Duarte all showed some chops to contribute to a big-league bullpen.
Running back the whole group, with the impending addition of Reed Garrett after his return from Tommy John surgery, leaves them a bit vulnerable to regression from players like Senga and Duarte. Adding two lower-cost veterans to work in the late innings, such as Dodgers' righty Evan Phillips and a reunion with Brooks Raley, could do the job here.
3. Add a starter for the middle of the rotation
Stearns made it clear in his postseason press conference that he wants to add to the rotation but didn't define exactly how he planned to do so. Adding an ace (which we'll discuss more in a minute) makes a ton of sense, but the Mets also need to find a veteran starter who can offer some stability in the middle of the rotation so the Mets don't have to rely on all of Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, Jonah Tong and Sean Manaea being successful in 2027.
A veteran free agent like Robbie Ray or Kevin Gausman, who could take shorter deals as they are on the back end of their careers, could be a logical addition to slot in behind an impending ace and Nolan McLean. This need could also be addressed via trade, with Minnesota's Joe Ryan being a fit that could help make McLean one of the best No. 3 starters in baseball if the Mets get another ace ahead of them.
2. Add a first baseman
Botching the replacement plan for Pete Alonso was arguably the biggest mistake Stearns has made since taking over as the Mets' President of Baseball Operations. Stearns did note that he can't get a mulligan on that decision, so now it is time for him to showcase his skills at talent identification to find an answer at the team's most problematic position.
Jared Young showed potential to be a solid player for them in the second half, but his profile doesn't fit as an everyday starter at first base. Finding a strong platoon partner for Young or adding a true starter there who can push Young into a bench role would strengthen the Mets' lineup considerably.
1. Sign Tarik Skubal
The Mets really can't afford to overthink this one. They have a glaring need for an ace, and a two-time Cy Young winner is about to hit the free-agent market in the prime of his career, which should be a perfect match between the team's need and Steve Cohen's king-sized checkbook.
There are obvious long-term risks with signing Skubal, who had an elbow scope this year, but he is the safest bet to add to the top of the rotation of any option that has hit the market in recent years. Stearns has tried multiple different ways to build a pitching staff since coming to New York, but Skubal offers him a chance to try a new direction: simply signing the best starter available and letting worries about the end of the contract be a future problem instead of a today one.
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