Here's how the Mets could acquire a top starter

Plus, another Kyle Tucker development and why the Mets are focusing on the trade market...

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• The Mets would prefer to offer free agent OF Kyle Tucker a contract probably no longer than four years with a higher AAV, although the Blue Jays are expected to offer a longer deal (The Athletic)

• The Mets seem determined to add starting pitching via the trade market, showing a real interest in both rentals and starters with club control (The Athletic)

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Rumor Mill 💨

• Talks are continuing between OF Cody Bellinger and the Yankees, but an agreement isn’t close (The Athletic)

• The Blue Jays have “increased their efforts” to try and land star free agent OF Kyle Tucker (MLB.com)

• The Cubs appear to be in on both SS Bo Bichette and 3B Alex Bregman (The Athletic)

• Kansas City remains interested in Cardinals 2B Brendan Donovan (The Athletic)

• The Orioles are happy to forfeit another draft pick in order to sign a notable free agent (The Athletic)

• The White Sox are showing some interest in free agent RHP Griffin Canning (The Athletic)

• RHP Takahiro Norimoto has an offer on the table from an unnamed MLB team (MLB.com)

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What I’m Reading 📰

• Following a slow start to the offseason, the Mets top a list of MLB teams that have taken steps backwards (The Athletic)

• Here’s a four-point plan for how the Mets could salvage what has been a disappointing offseason so far (NY Post)

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The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: On the latest episode of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich & Andrew reacted to recent signings around the league, and made predictions for what we can expect from the 2026 Mets.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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The Cubs have shown the Mets the path to acquiring a top starter ✍️

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Entrenched in a quiet period, the Hot Stove showed some tangible signs of life on Wednesday after the Cubs traded for Marlins starter Edward Cabrera.

It was a big move by Chicago, while it was also a significant development for the Mets given their previous reported interest in Cabrera.

However, despite missing out on the righty, the deal could also now act as a potential roadmap for the Mets, who, according to reports, are prioritizing the trade market as opposed to free agency when it comes to upgrading the starting rotation.

According to The Athletic, New York does have some interest in the free agent starters still twisting out in the wind, but the focus is exploring the trade market first.

That does make sense given the front office’s reluctance to hand out long-term deals this offseason, not to mention the fact that the franchise is dealing from a position of strength as it pertains to having a lot of prospect capital.

So, with Cabrera now off the board, who are the most realistic trade targets for the Mets? What would the asking price be? And why, with the start of spring training rapidly approaching, is the team not showing a lot more urgency when it comes to addressing a very real weakness?

I’m going to attempt to get into all of that right here, and I’ll also use the Cabrera trade as a guide.

One name I won’t be discussing, however, is Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. As other members of the team here have expressed before, I just have a real problem believing that Detroit will actually trade its most valuable asset this winter. So I don’t want to waste time by discussing a potential trade that I believe has zero chance of happening.

The more feasible options include Brewers RHP Freddy Peralta and Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore.

Peralta is a player we’ve spoken about a lot already in this space, and it would make a lot of sense for the Mets to go out and acquire the two-time All-Star. Peralta was money for the Brewers in 2025, posting a career-best 2.70 ERA while leading the league in wins with 17. He struck out 204 hitters while allowing 124 hits, 54 walks, and 53 earned runs over 176.2 IP.

Perhaps more noteworthy is the fact that Peralta has established himself as a reliable frontline starter who can eat up innings. He’s proven that he can go deep in games, something no Mets starter outside of David Peterson was able to do in 2025. Peralta would be a steady presence atop that rotation, while helping to address what was the Mets’ biggest fatal flaw last year. Furthermore, Peralta boasts high swing-and-miss stuff and he limits really hard contact. He’s a gamer, and could fill the role of ace for the 2026 staff.

In terms of asking price, it is important to remember that Peralta would be a rental given that he’s due to become a free agent after the 2026 season. He’s also due to earn just $8 million this year. Now, using Wednesday’s big trade as a guide, the Cubs gave up their No. 1 prospect in outfielder Owen Caissie, their No. 11 prospect in infielder Cristian Hernandez, as well as another infield prospect. Cabrera is under club control for the next three seasons, hence the significant package given up by Chicago. As it pertains to a potential Peralta trade, it is important to note that the Brewers ace is a more established and better player than Cabrera is right now. So, even as a rental, the Mets would probably need to start with either Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat, before throwing in another top 10 or top 15 prospect to tempt the Brewers into moving Peralta.

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As for Gore, he’s not on the same level as Peralta, but he isn’t worlds away and is also still only 26 years old, so the potential to morph into a true ace is there. Gore is set to earn just $6.5 million in 2026 and won’t become a free agent until 2028. Despite regressing after the All-Star break last year, the Nationals are still expected to want a lot back in return for Gore. So, again, the Mets would have to get comfortable with giving up at least one top 10 prospect in a Sproat or a Tong, and maybe someone like A.J. Ewing or Jacob Reimer too.

Perhaps what the Cubs had to give up for Cabrera would be more relevant to the Mets in a potential Gore deal. After all, like Cabrera, Gore is still under team control, he’s young with a high ceiling, and he put up a 27.2% strikeout rate and a 29.7% whiff rate in 2025, which is important given how highly front offices value strikeouts. When you take into account the kind of ace Gore could become, then it is feasible to believe that the Nationals would want a similar package to the one the Marlins got back for Cabrera.

MacKenzie Gore, via Baseball Savant (Statcast)

Of course, the Mets have a few extra bargaining chips in Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña, all players who could be thrown in to any potential deal as extra sweeteners.

It might make more sense to give up multiple prospects for Gore than it does Peralta. After all, Gore is younger, he has a lot more upside, and he showed his potential last year with a 3.02 ERA in 19 starts prior to the All-Star break. He also recorded a career-high 185 strikeouts and showed substantial improvements with his stuff on the mound.

Gore would give the Mets a quality, albeit a little unproven young pitcher that they could develop further, while Peralta gives the team a better chance of winning right now in 2026.

Of course, it is almost impossible to work out what the Mets will be in 2026 given that they aren’t exactly being clear on what the plan is. Will this year be a transitional rebuild year, or is the intent to be competitive and aim for the World Series?

If the mission statement for the 2026 season is indeed the latter, then it is lost on me why president of baseball operations David Stearns isn’t being more aggressive in addressing a weakness that sunk this team last year. And, with Cabrera now off the board and a lot of teams looking for starting pitching, I don’t think Peralta or Gore will be available forever.

The Cubs badly needed pitching and went out and got it on Wednesday, thus improving their ability to compete for the playoffs in 2026. Yes, they had to give up a high price, but that’s the name of the game when acquiring talented players with a lot of upside. And Stearns must now face that reality. If he really wants to improve this rotation for the 2026 season, and if he sees the trade market as the best way to accomplish that goal, then he’s going to have to get comfortable with the notion of giving up some of the future in order to make this team better right now.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

If the real goal is to just develop the prospects and punt on 2026, then that’s a different conversation. But, either way, the Mets need pitching and the Cubs have just shown what it takes to acquire it. With Opening Day on the horizon, the onus is now on the Mets to make their move before it is too late.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Cubs acquired RHP Edward Cabrera from the Marlins for No. 1 prospect Owen Caissie and two other prospects (MLB.com)

• The Rockies reportedly signed free agent RHP Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $8 million deal with a club option (ESPN)

• The Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with RHP Brusdar Graterol to avoid arbitration for the 2026 season (MLB.com)