Why This Could Be the Most Important Offseason Yet for the Mets

The New York Mets have a lot of work to do this offseason after a second straight disappointing season.

Despite dismantling the team's core, the Mets still entered the 2026 campaign as an expected contender in the National League East. Things, however, went from bad to worse in Flushing.

From their early-season 12-game losing streak, offseason acquisitions that didn't pan out and a managerial change mid-season, New York finished the season 74-88 and in last place in the NL East for the first time since 2003.

Amid their disastrous 2026 season, Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is about to face one of his most important offseasons since being hired by the club.

Redemption from disastrous 2025-26 offseason moves

Last offseason was one many Mets fans would like to forget. It all began when New York traded longest-tenured Met Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for infielder Marcus Semien. That was just the start

Within 24 hours during the MLB Winter Meetings, the Mets lost Edwin Díaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by franchise home run leader Pete Alonso, who inked a five-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The dismantling of that core ended when the Mets traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics.

When the Mets opted to completely shake things up, the moves that the aforementioned Stearns made backfired immediately. Semien, brought in primarily for his glove at second base, committed six errors this season after making two errors last year for Texas. The 36-year-old also batted a woeful .215/.280/.340 with 15 home runs, 49 RBIs and posted a career-worst OPS of .620 in 139 games.

Another disastrous move was acquiring outfielder Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. Robert came to New York with a history of lingering injuries, which were on full display this past season. He appeared in only 58 games for the Mets after being placed on the injured list on April 26 due to a lumbar disc herniation, forcing him to miss nearly three months.

Robert was eventually placed on waivers by the Mets on Aug. 29 and was claimed two days later by the Orioles.

Speaking of injuries, Stearns's replacement of Alonso at first base was perhaps one of his worst moves since he was hired as the president of baseball operations. Stearns signed veteran infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal to play first base for the Mets. A position Polanco had never played before in his major league career.

Polanco came to New York with a long injury history that would also follow him. The 33-year-old played in only 37 games for the Mets after battling left ankle bursitis for much of the season, which forced Polanco to undergo season-ending surgery.

To make matters worse, the aforementioned Alonso finished third in Major League Baseball with 43 home runs, including his 300th on Sept. 15 (h/t Talkin' Baseball) against none other than the Mets. For good measure, the Polar Bear also finished second in baseball with 113 runs batted in.

The trade acquisition of Freddy Peralta was yet another disappointing move. Peralta was brought in to be the ace of the Mets staff; the two-time All-Star pitched to a career-worst 4.99 ERA across 22 starts and was later traded to the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the trade deadline.

While signing Bo Bichette to a three-year deal panned out well for the Mets late in the season, it was too little too late after Bichette struggled right out of the gate during New York's 12-game slide in April.

David Stearns needs to string together a successful offseason

Despite owner Steve Cohen's backing, Mets fans have made their frustration with Stearns' clear mistakes last offseason known. 2026 was a year to forget for the Mets, and if they want to climb their way back into contention in the ultra-competitive NL East, Stearns and company need to nail this upcoming offseason.

The Mets do appear to have some young talent that was a bright spot during their down year. Stearns and Co. now need to look to add to that with some veteran pieces to get this club back into contention.

Get Mets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.