MLB's offseason calendar is set after the Brewers' first World Series title, with a possible lockout looming over it all. For the Mets, Nolan McLean, Luis Torrens and Carson Benge are Gold Glove finalists, with winners revealed November 1. 🧤
Jake Bauers has been linked to the Mets at first base, but the case is that Jared Young already fits the profile. Both are lefty-swinging 1B/OF types, and Young posted a 113 OPS+ with nine homers in 2026. Same script, cheaper cast. 🎬
Michael King opted out of the final two years and $53 million of his Padres deal, hitting free agency for a second straight year. After a 3.21 ERA over 185 innings in 2026, projections run four to five years near $30M per year, so Mets-adjacent rotation shopping just got a name. 💰
The Mets reportedly have interest in a Clay Holmes reunion, per SNY's Chelsea Janes, with Holmes seen as open to it for the right deal. The catch: David Stearns likely won't give years upon years, so Holmes's price decides it. 🔁
Marcus Semien's 2026 was rough: a 74 wRC+, the worst of his career, and -0.5 fWAR, with his defensive range cratering too. With $46 million still owed, Stearns hasn't committed to him at second base in 2027. The Nimmo trade did open outfield space. 🔻
Mets shortstop prospect Elian Peña, an $5M signee from 2025, got a mid-August bump from Low-A St. Lucie to High-A Brooklyn at 18. He's hitting .164 with no homers in 67 ABs there, with an ETA of 2029–2030. Patience required. ⏳
Francisco Alvarez went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as DH in his first Venezuelan Winter League game, while Luis Torrens went 1-for-4 with an RBI at first in Magallanes' 6-4 win. Both are testing first base, a possible path to 2027 playing time. 🧤
A look back at the Mets' 2023 draft finds a mostly successful class. Third-rounder Nolan McLean (2.93 ERA, 227 2/3 IP) looks like a possible frontline starter, and fourth-rounder A.J. Ewing has grown into a plus-defensive center fielder. First-rounder Colin Houck looks like a miss. 📋
Mets could face a free-agent sprint before the expected Dec. 1 lockout. A weak position-player class means pitching looks like the likely focus, with Bryan Abreu and Alex Vesia among the bullpen targets in one ranking of 10 options. 🎯
Part 2 of the Rumors & Vibes series studies how Milwaukee keeps restocking through drafts, chained trades, and selective extensions. The takeaway for Mets fans: David Stearns and Steve Cohen's money could pair a deep farm system with the ability to keep what works. 🔍
Brewers won their first World Series, but the Mets' offseason is already moving. They considered hitting coach John Mallee before the Cubs reworked his contract to keep him. Mailbag talk also touches on possible Tarik Skubal and Teruaki Sato pursuits. 🔍
Brewers closed out the 2026 World Series in five games, and former Met Daniel Vogelbach is a champion. 🏆 Closer to home, Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens played winter ball, and the Mets reportedly showed interest in the Cubs' hitting coach, John Mallee.
Bo Bichette's opt-out call is on the clock: he has five days after the World Series to decide on the $84M left on his Mets deal. SNY's Chelsea Janes reads it as an opt-in, though she stresses it's only her read. Opting out would forfeit that money for a $5M bonus.
Mets' offseason opens with Bo Bichette's $42M player option as the first domino: opt in, or test free agency with a $5M buyout. Ten arbitration-eligible players also face mid-November tender decisions. Free agency starts Nov. 3. ⏳
David Peterson, flipped to the Cubs in June for prospect Cole Mathis, rebounded with a 3.70 ERA in Chicago after a 6.09 mark with the Mets. Now a free agent, the lefty could land a sizable payday, likely outside Queens. 📈
Speculation: Could Tarik Skubal be the exception to David Stearns' wariness about long pitcher deals? Stearns has gone long for Soto (15 years) and offered Yamamoto 13, so the Mets' approach looks less like a hard rule than case-by-case. 🤔
Mets president David Stears reportedly flew to Japan right after the 2026 season to scout top free agent Teruaki Sato. SNY's Chelsea Janes says that trip signals serious interest, so don't rule him out. Last winter's Okamoto and Murakami pursuits fell flat. 👀
Mets mailbag: SNY's Chelsea Janes says the front office is wary of a long-term deal for Tarik Skubal, though Steve Cohen may push for one. She expects Stearns to plan as if he won't land him, with starting pitching, possibly Clay Holmes, the priority. 🎯
Speculation: with Tarik Skubal rumors swirling, a HEAVY piece floats Angels lefty Reid Detmers as a quieter trade target for David Stearns' Mets. The case: two years of control and a lower cost than Skubal's projected $30M a year. Nothing is agreed.
Jim Bowden reportedly projects the Mets to pass on a Clay Holmes reunion, with a similar two-year, $45M deal for Robbie Ray as the alternative. Ray's 19.9% K-rate, 34.1% ground-ball rate and 12% walk rate make him the wrong pivot. 🚩
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