Exploring remaining depth options at first base

The Mets still need some insurance behind Jorge Polanco - could a reunion with a beloved ex-Met be feasible?

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• Mets pitchers and catchers have officially reported to Port St. Lucie - the first official workout for pitchers and catchers will be tomorrow, during which fans can attend on the back fields

• The Mets announced their spring training roster (SNY)

• Tobias Myers talked about being traded to the Mets and expectations for 2026 (SNY)

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Rumor Mill 💨

• The Phillies would like to move Nick Castellanos prior to the team’s first full squad workout next week (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• With Zach Wheeler unlikely to return by Opening Day, the Phillies are looking for additional rotation depth (Philadelphia Inquirer)

• The Pirates are looking for an upgrade at third base (PG Sports Now)

• The Pirates and Red Sox are expressing interest in a trade for INF Isaac Paredes (Athletic)

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What I’m Reading 📺

• Time will tell what kid of monster this Frankenstein Mets roster is (NY Post)

• Rival executives spoke about how they view the Mets and how they stack up in the NL East (SNY)

• Seven things the Mets need to decide by Opening Day (NJ.com)

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🌴 1 day until the 1st official workout for Mets pitchers & catchers in Port St. Lucie… 🌴

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Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

The Just Mets Podcast is back!

Andrew and Rich recently spent time discussing Spring Training, and recapped the final few weeks of the off-season after a little break.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE JUST METS PODCAST: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Wilmer? ✍️

Baseball is finally back, baby!

Mets pitchers and catchers reported to Port St. Lucie yesterday. The first official workout is tomorrow, and there is finally a shimmer of light in what has otherwise been a miserable winter here in the Northeast.

Now that players are actually going to be on the field conducting baseball activities, we can soon start focusing on what is actually happening in front of us, rather than transactional moves that could come to fruition.

But give me at least one more day to ponder the possibilities. After all, David Stearns has said several times this winter that it’s a long off-season, and transactions could still continue into March. And, the Mets still have some questions and some depth issues which they could address with low cost procurements.

Last week, there were reports that the Mets could have some level of interest in free-agent first baseman Ty France. The veteran is a glove-first player who hasn’t hit much in recent years, and the Mets’ interest would come from a place of securing an insurance policy at position number three, in the event Jorge Polanco can’t handle his new digs.

The first thing I thought of when I read the rumor about France, however, was that I can think of a similar player that would make so much more sense.

Enter Wilmer Flores. (Yes, that Wilmer Flores.)

The Mets originally signed Flores as an international free agent way back in 2007 as a 16-year-old amateur, made his big league debut for the Mets in 2013 and became a full-time player with the club in 2015. He hit .262/.303/.424 in six seasons with the Mets between 2013-2018. He spent one year with the Diamondbacks before the last six with the Giants, having put together a nice 13-year big league career with a .259/.316/.429 line with 169 home runs and 603 RBI over 1337 games.

In 125 games for the Giants in 2025, Flores hit .241/.307/.379 with 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 463 plate appearances.

The beloved former Met just completed an impressive six-year run in San Francisco. He’s still currently a free agent, and even at 34 years old, still remains a productive offensive player.

Flores was never renowned for his defense, and thus would probably not fit David Stearns’ vision for run prevention. But right now, Mark Vientos is still here and projected to back up Polanco at first base while also receiving some DH opportunities.

Flores could certainly fill that role just as well as Vientos, whose status on this opening-day roster feels tenuous at best, especially with the never-ending rumors connecting him to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Right now, the Mets’ opening-day bench is projected to include backup catcher Luis Torrens, 4th outfielder Tyrone Taylor, Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio as an infield reserve.

Flores is capable of playing first base, second base, and third base at this stage of his career, and in the event Vientos actually was traded, that positional flexibility would be extremely valuable.

I’ll admit this feels like a longshot given some of the other moves we’ve watched Stearns make, but I’m also pretty resolute that this is not an entirely bad idea. In the end, France is a better fit because of his stronger defense at first, but he might be looking for a full(er) time role somewhere, and the Mets simply can’t offer that to France.

But Flores might conceivably be looking more for a part-time utility-type role.

Every Mets fan would be ecstatic to see Wilmer come back to Queens, and if the club was already considering an addition of this ilk, why not bring in the guy that is a better player and that your fans already adore?

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Around the League 🚩

• The Pirates and veteran right-handed slugger Marcell Ozuna are in agreement on a one year free-agent pact (ESPN)

• The Marlins signed right-hander Chris Paddack (NY Post)

• Veteran righty Nick Martinez signed with the Rays (Tampa Bay Times)

• RHP Erick Fedde is returning to the White Sox (NY Post)

• Gio Urshela signed a minor league deal with the Twins (El ExtraBase)

• Boston acquired infielder Caleb Durbin in a six player trade with Milwaukee (ESPN)