Mets get their ace, bolster their bullpen, and introduce a new star on the same day
Plus, the Mets and David Stearns are owed an apology
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets made a blockbuster deal late Wednesday night, acquiring RHP Freddy Peralta and RHP Tobias Myers from the Brewers for RHP Brandon Sproat and INF Jett Williams (Story)
The Mets also bolstered their bullpen, signing RHP Luis García to a one-year contract (Official)
The Mets officially introduced INF Bo Bichette in a press conference at Citi Field on Wednesday afternoon - Bichette will wear the No. 19 jersey during his time in Queens
RHP Nolan McLean (8), OF Carson Benge (19), RHP Jonah Tong (44), and OF A.J. Ewing (83) all featured in Baseball America’s 2026 Top 100 Prospects list (BA)
Roster Moves 📰
Acquired RHP Freddy Peralta from the Brewers
Acquired RHP Tobias Myers from the Brewers
Signed RHP Luis García to a one-year contract
Designated INF Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment
Designated RHP Cooper Criswell for assignment
Acquired OF Luis Robert Jr. from the White Sox
Rumor Mill 💨
The White Sox are expected to “be very active” after gaining some payroll flexibility with the trade of OF Luis Robert Jr. (MLB.com)
Bo Bichette, David Stearns speak! 🗣️
Bo Bichette was officially introduced as a member of the Mets on Wednesday afternoon. Here’s some highlights from what both Bichette and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns had to say at the press conference:
Bichette:
Bichette said that he’s “excited” to be a part of the Mets and be in “one of the best cities in the world.” He also made it clear that his “first priority is winning.”
Primarily a shortstop over the course of his career, Bichette said that he was open to playing third base if “it felt like the place I needed to be.” He again stated that it became very clear he wanted to be a Met.
Bichette isn’t shying away from the challenge of playing in New York, instead insisting that he’s ready and excited for this new opportunity.
He also added that he’s excited to meet the high standard set by Mets fans on the way to helping this team try and win a World Series.
Stearns:
Stearns revealed that the Mets didn’t have to convince Bichette to play third base, saying that the two-time All-Star will play wherever and “just wants to win.”
Stearns also doesn’t believe there will be too much of a transitional period for Bichette given his knowledge of the game and his work ethic.
Stearns referred to Bichette as “an insane competitor and someone who never takes a play off.”
With the potential to have four shortstops in the infield this year, Stearns is hoping the amount of range leads to a lot of ground being covered.
Stearns spoke about the “big-time upside” of Luis Robert Jr., noting that all the “skills and tools that allowed him to perform at such a high level a couple of years ago are still there,” while also adding that he now “feels good” about the position group as a whole.
Stearns finished by stating that the Mets are “an exciting team” and a “very good team” as of right now, adding that he’s committed to doing everything he can to put a championship-caliber team on the field.
In a special emergency livestream, Rich MacLeod & Andrew Claudio react to the breaking news that the Mets have acquired All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta & RHP Tobias Myers from the Milwaukee Brewers for top 5 prospects Jett Williams & Brandon Sproat.
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Time for a mea culpa ✍️
I owe President of Baseball Operations David Stearns an apology.
A big one. I think most of us do, for what it’s worth.
See, I wasn’t exactly buying what Stearns was trying to sell throughout the offseason. I didn’t agree with letting Pete Alonso walk, and I certainly didn’t like the thinking behind allowing the best closer in baseball to go to the Dodgers over just a few million bucks.
I also questioned whether Stearns was actually working to any kind of plan, or if he was just flying by the seat of his pants without any clear direction.
After all, the whole run prevention narrative just seemed like folly to me, the lack of urgency in regards to upgrading the starting rotation was puzzling, and the attempt to go after Kyle Tucker, while admirable, also seemed a little desperate given the other needs that had to be addressed at the time.
Well, given what we’ve just witnessed over the last few days, I am more than happy to eat crow.
Mr. Stearns, I am deeply sorry.
And, to our dear readers, some of whom I argued with in the comments section on this very topic, I am very sorry too.
Because, as it turns out, there was a plan and Stearns has proved the old adage right that slow and steady really does win the race.
By pivoting to Bo Bichette after missing out on Tucker, adding outfielder Luis Robert Jr. in a low-risk, high-reward type move, and then instantly following that up with a trade for Freddy Peralta, the Mets suddenly look like a team that could really make some noise in 2026.
I mean, Peralta alone is the type of addition that really changes the overall picture for a team. The two-time All-Star was money for the Brewers in 2025, pitching to a 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts and a 1.075 WHIP across 176.2 innings. He’s a real gamer and instantly becomes the ace of this staff. Plus, given his stuff and ability to grind out starts, you feel good about Peralta starting Game 1 of a playoff series.
If Peralta can find a way to go a little deeper in games, then now we’re talking about a true stud at the front of the rotation that can really prove to be a difference maker in the postseason. And, considering that the Mets had to give up two top five prospects in Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat in order to get Peralta, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Stearns is already working on a long-term extension for his newest starter. At this point, it is important to remember that trading for Peralta was Stearns’ first act as GM of the Brewers, so clearly there’s a relationship there and maybe that could factor into Peralta deciding to commit his long-term future to the Mets sooner rather than later.
Let’s try and stay in the present for now, however. You also can’t discount the inclusion of Tobias Myers in the Peralta deal. Myers has major league experience as both a starter and reliever, and he could maybe slide into the back-end of the rotation as a fifth starter with plenty of upside. That could be especially helpful if Kodai Senga struggles to stay healthy again.
When looking at the two other significant moves Stearns has made over the last week, there is no denying that Robert Jr. could be a really smart acquisition. He improves the outfield defensively and, at 28 years old, there’s no reason to see why the outfielder can’t rediscover the kind of offensive production that saw him hit 38 home runs with 20 stolen bases and 80 RBIs in 2023. There is a lot of upside there, and the potential rewards are tantalizing.
And then there is Bichette. The infielder was one of the top free agents available this winter for a reason, and his elite skillset when it comes to hitting adds an entirely different dynamic to that lineup. Bichette helps to change the identity of the lineup, with his ability to not strike out a whole lot helping to add a lot of contactability. When you throw Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco into the mix, that lineup now suddenly has the potential for more balls in plays and a much higher chance of positive outcomes with runners on base. Consider Robert Jr’s speed too (he ranked in the 90th percentile in both sprint speed and bat speed in 2025), then we are now looking at a lineup that could hurt teams in a lot of different ways and doesn’t just have to rely on power.
So, all in all, we’ve seen the Mets address a number of key needs in a short span of time, while no doubt upgrading in certain areas too.
Now, look, I’m not quite ready to join SNY’s Steve Gelbs in declaring the Mets true World Series contenders just yet. I think that’s being a little too optimistic as of right now. I still think there’s some more work to be done and some questions to be answered before the Mets can really compete with the likes of the Dodgers.
But, regardless, in just a matter of days, Stearns has turned an offseason that looked like a punt into a home run, improving the roster overnight while changing the entire perception of the winter and the outlook for 2026 in the process. He deserves an enormous amount of credit for that.
And, in the future, I will wait to see how the entire offseason shakes out before coming to a hasty conclusion.
Around the League 🚩
The Yankees finally got their man with OF Cody Bellinger reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $162.5 million deal to return to the Bronx (ESPN)
The Cardinals announced that former catcher Yadier Molina will be joining the team as Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations (MLB.com)
The Red Sox acquired minor league C/1B Nate Baez from the Twins for INF Tristan Gray (MLB.com)
INF Yoán Moncada reportedly agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Angels (NY Post)
The Dodgers officially announced the four-year, $240 million contract with OF Kyle Tucker, who is expected to hit in the top third of LA’s loaded lineup (MLB.com)
I never lost faith in Stearns. He is a tremendous poker player. I would think that the Brewers tried to initially extract more out of not only the Mets, but all the other teams seeking Peralta as they should. In the end all involved received a fair deal and do not underestimate what Myers can bring to add to the bullpen. A great day in the Met universe. I hope that the guys they traded have nice careers
I'm pretty excited now. Sign Peralta to an extension.