Ideas on who can significantly upgrade the Mets offense
Getting better offensively and defensively at the same time is not an easy balance to strike for the Mets, but there are some options that can do both
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets signed INF Jose Rojas and INF Jackson Cluff to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training
Carlos Beltrán said on Saturday the Mets will do everything they can to retain Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso (SNY)
Rumor Mill 🔎
The Blue Jays recently met with the representatives for Edwin Díaz as well as Raisel Iglesias (The Athletic)
The Cubs have shown early interest in RHP Michael King (The Athletic)
Balancing upgrades for the Mets offense while improving their defense ✍️
Over the first six weeks or so of the off-season, we have spoken a lot about the Mets’ need to improve their entire pitching staff as well as their defense.
One thing we haven’t spoken about, really at all, is their need offensively.
The Mets undoubtedly had one of the best offenses in the game in 2025, despite their struggles with runners on base and in scoring position for much of the season. They were fifth in MLB with 112 wRC+, 147 stolen bases, and 224 home runs, tenth with 166 runs scored, their base running was head over heels better in 2025 than it was in 2024 (the fifth-best by Fangraphs BsR standard), and they were worth 29 fWAR, behind only the Cubs (31.1), Blue Jays (32.6), and Yankees (34.2).
They were a top third offense at worst and in many cases, a top five offense in all of baseball.
But that doesn’t mean there weren’t holes and in their endeavor to improve the defensive side of the game, they don’t want to create more holes or deepen others. There were, which is what contributed to their general struggle with runners in scoring position over the first four months or so of the season (they did finish with a .260 batting average with RISP and a .236 average with two outs and RISP, for what it’s worth).
They were in large measure a very top-heavy offense, albeit they got generally elite performances from the likes of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso. But there were some struggles elsewhere. Here is the breakdown of OPS by position for the Mets in 2025:
As you can see, the Mets got a sub-.700 OPS from three of the positions on the field. They’re not solving all of these problems this winter, but they don’t have to. Lets take a renewed look at each of those issues and see if we can find some answers given what has transpired since the season ended.
OUTFIELD/CENTERFIELD
We chronicled their deficiencies offensively in center field all year long, and while they attempted to fix that problem by acquiring Cedric Mullins at the trade deadline, that didn’t exactly go well, and they arguably got worse there in the process.
Center field is once again an obvious area for the Mets to upgrade, if possible. Having Tyrone Taylor out there as a backup is fine, but that’s the role he is most valuable in. There aren’t a lot of true difference-making options which are natural centerfielders which could be (in part, anyway, aside from typical public GM speak) why David Stearns suggested top prospect Carson Benge has a shot at the big league team this spring.
But, that’s at this moment, before the Mets make a single procurement in the external markets.
Yes, they could very well sign Cody Bellinger, but he’s best suited as a corner outfielder every day or at first base so he isn’t a natural fit even if they like what he brings to the table. They have two lefty-hitting corner outfielders already and Jeff McNeil is still here as a utility player, even if they’re all inferior defensively to Bellinger. The only runway I see for this is if he splits his time exclusively between center field and first base, whether Pete Alonso is here or not. Perhaps that equation is easier to solve with Alonso than without since both can play first base, Bellinger can reduce the number of innings Alonso is at first, and they wouldn’t have realistic immediate options without either of them?
It also remains to be seen how much the park factor is involved in Bellinger’s willingness to go to a more net-neutral ballpark like Citi Field over a place like Yankee Stadium. It mattered for him in 2025, for what it’s worth. But despite being left-handed, he opens up a lot of possibilities for the Mets all over the field.
A defense-first option could be a reunion with Harrison Bader, although he is coming off a career year at the plate. I don’t really see how Mike Yastrzemski might fit since he’s best suited for right field, and of course, we all know Byron Buxton will not waive his no-trade clause at this time. So, the options are limited beyond Bellinger and teams don’t usually want to trade elite center fielders anyway.
Now, what about something nobody has really thought about? Yet, anyway.
The Padres have announced their intention to more or less try and sell the team. There was already a lot of buzz out there about the club needing to shed payroll. However, Manny Machado’s contract is more or less unmovable and I don’t think the Mets would ever go down that road anyway. Xander Bogaerts is an underperforming albatross at this point in his career as well.
But what about Fernando Tatís Jr.?
His 14-year, $340 million contract he signed before the 2021 season looks like a bargain right now, and he is just entering his age-27 season. He will earn $20 million in 2026, $25 million in 2027 and 2028, and then a raise to $36 million from 2029-2036.
Now, Tatís has a full no-trade clause, so he is in complete control of his own destiny until 2029, at which point his no-trade protection goes down to 13 clubs (unknown who they are). But here’s a guy who can play at least two outfield positions and can arguably play shortstop if he has to, although his eliteness is in right field, not center. He might be a better fit for the Yankees in the end.
So, it’s an unnatural fit, but at the same time, he’s a young, elite offensive and defensive player despite the flaws and controversy around his 2022 PED suspension. The cost in trade would be high, I am sure, but that could be somewhat softened by the fact that the Padres would probably love to wash their hands of the entirety of the contract if they decide to shop him.
Just something to keep in your back pocket as the off-season evolves.
INFIELD
For now, let’s just assume the Mets will eventually re-sign Alonso. It makes this easier for me today. I am not saying its going to happen, but there’s more or less nowhere else for them to go there especially with Josh Naylor off the board and going back t
They have the deficiency at second, and of course, there’s third, which, for now, sounds like it belongs to Brett Baty unless they decide they want to pursue Alex Bregman, which could result in Baty moving to second, thereby killing two birds with one stone.
I am not at all opposed to Baty being the opening-day third baseman - he was excellent in the second half and deserves that job, at least out of the gate. He has to prove he can do what he did in the second half of the 2025 season over a full season now - it’s understandable to be skeptical that can happen, but the Mets can’t just sign every free agent to solve their problems, either. At some point, that problem-solving has to come from within and not with a 30+ free agent spend, and perhaps Baty has finally emerged as a fix.
Alternatively, the Mets could consider upgrading at second and keeping Baty in his natural position at third. Maybe they’ll be in play for Bo Bichette, who is reportedly being looked at as a second base option among his suitors at this stage of the off-season. That would certainly go a long way towards upgrading their offense, and it would keep the plus-defending Baty at third, as I said. And, Bichette is a right-handed, contact-first bat who was excellent at hitting breaking pitches in 2025, attributes the Mets need to add to their lineup this winter, unquestionably.
But, he’s a career shortstop - albeit an offense-first one - who is just entering his prime years.
Is he simply going to move off of shortstop, a premium position at this stage of his career? How competent will he be as an everyday second baseman? Sure, he was fine there in the World Series, but that was a very small sample size. The problem for Bichette might be, of course, that he was hard on the eyes at shortstop this past season, and clubs interested in his free agency might view his defense at that position as subtractive.
It might even be subtractive at second base over the long term too - we don’t know. And with the Mets looking to get better at preventing runs, there’s a difficult balance to strike here, potentially. It’s obviously in his best interest at this point in the off-season to market himself as a multi-faceted defensive player who is open to suggestion, but we have seen that movie many times before.
Also, don’t forget about top prospect Jett Williams, who - if he isn’t traded, of course - might be here before too long. He can play shortstop and second along with centerfield.
CATCHING
At this juncture, I don’t see the Mets entertaining a front-line catcher in the external markets. Despite what can only be described as an injury-plagued roller coaster for Francisco Álvarez over the last couple of years, he’s still young, and he was markedly improved when he returned from his stint in the minor leagues mid-year. He’s still inexpensive, and if they can just keep his hands healthy, he deserves more time. His 1.8 fWAR might project better over a healthy season and into the top third in baseball as well.
His lack of power has been concerning, but the injuries have undoubtedly taken their toll, especially on his hands, which may have impacted his quickness and overall power. I also think there have been a lot of voices in his ear trying to get him to make any number of changes rather than just allowing him to be himself and adjust from there.
The combination of Álvarez and Luis Torrens is perfectly acceptable, despite the general struggle from both offensively. The club’s 3.4 fWAR at the position was in fact in the top third with clear upside if Álvarez can stay on the field.
So, we have eliminated catching and one of second or third base as upgrade points.
WHAT ABOUT THIS?
I have thought about something which feels far-fetched on the surface and might very well be unrealistic. Nonetheless, it’s a tantalizing thought I’ve considered, and that is for the Mets to go after Kyle Schwarber.
Now, like I said, it feels unrealistic, primarily because I just can’t see the Phillies letting him go. But free agency can get weird—just ask Freddie Freeman and the Braves. As is the case with Bellinger, I also don’t see how Schwarber offers balance as a left-handed hitter and from a contact-ability perspective either. There’s also a question of how his game might age, especially as he enters his age-33 season as an all-power, high-strikeout bat. He’s also strictly a DH and offers no help whatsoever from a run prevention standpoint.
But again, free agency is weird. And if the Phillies mess this up and Schwarber can be had on a four-year deal, even at $30-35 million, there are clubs out there who will make this work, even if it’s a square peg in a round hole for them.
For the Mets, it may only be realistic for them to be in the Schwarber game if Alonso walks. And even then, they may simply look for a better defensive option to replace Alonso like Josh Naylor or a player of that ilk. (I am not buying at all the notion of having Jeff McNeil or Mark Vientos at first next year, BTW.).
But, imagine if the Mets had Alonso and Schwarber? And Soto, and Lindor? Wow.
Now, that’s a pretty lefty-heavy makeup, especially when you add in Brandon Nimmo. And again, there is no help in here from a defensive perspective. And whether they have Alonso in here or not, there are a lot of strikeouts already built in without either he or Schwarber. Adding in Schwarber’s less than desirable strikeout rate might be risky over time, but it’s hard to deny what his tantalizing power could do for the Mets offense.
Also - it’s November, and we owe Schwarber, Tatís and pretty much everything a conversation at a minimum right now.
So, at worst, we had it.