The Mets are legit players for Kyle Tucker, but they need alternatives
Plus, the Mets agreed to contracts with all arbitration eligible players by Thursday's deadline
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets reached agreements with all arbitration eligible players which were C Luis Torrens ($2.275m), LHP David Peterson ($8.1m), C Francisco Álvarez ($2.4m), RHP Tylor Megill ($2.5m), RHP Huascar Brazoban ($1.05m), and RHP Reed Garrett ($1.3m)
The Mets have signed RHP Jun-Seok Shim to a minor league deal (MMO)
OF Carson Benge and RHP Jonah Tong have some of the best tools in the team’s system (MLB.com)
Roster Moves 🗞️
Optioned INF Jihwan Bae to Triple-A Syracuse
Rumor Mill 💨
The Mets have a legitimate chance to and OF Kyle Tucker but they face stiff competition from the Blue Jays and Dodgers (NY Post)
Both the Phillies and Yankees have shown some interest in INF Bo Bichette (CBS Sports)
The Yankees offer to OF Cody Bellinger is north of $30 million per season (Athletic)
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If the Mets lose out on Kyle Tucker, then what? ✍️
Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently discussed the Mets’ chances of landing OF Kyle Tucker. While they are definitely in the mix to land the All-Star, it still remains to be seen if he would take a shorter deal with the Mets over the longer deal that Toronto is offering.
No matter what, the Mets have at least one gaping hole in their outfield, specifically in left field following their trade of Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien. Simply put, they do not currently have a viable Major League option for that position as it stands today. So, an acquisition is necessary to fill that spot. They also need to figure out how to generate offense out of centerfield. While Tyrone Taylor is a plus defensive player, asking him to be productive at the plate for 162 games would border on absurd. At a minimum, they need a left-handed complement to Taylor to form a platoon, if not even a modest well-rounded upgrade at the position.
If you’re a believer in projections, right now, the Mets project at 0.9 fWAR in left field, the fourth-lowest mark in the game. They project at 1.9 fWAR in center field, the fifth lowest mark in the game. They project at 1.6 fWAR from the DH spot, which is the 14th highest mark in the game.
So, the Mets can kid themselves all they want into thinking the team is in a good place right now, as they have discussed with the Athletic recently. But to have even two of those problems plus an untouched starting rotation is unlikely to end well for this club.
So if the team loses the Tucker sweepstakes, where can they turn to round out their outfield?
Cody Bellinger. Bellinger remains a free agent with the Yankees pursuing him. Bellinger saw a resurgence in the Bronx after a down year in 2024 with the Cubs. Last season, he hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. Playing with the short porch in Yankee Stadium as a lefty bat certainly helps his profile, and re-signing with the Yankees is probably his best option. After winning the MVP in 2019 with the Dodgers, he could never replicate that success and was downright dreadful in 2021. While he offers some versatility with the Mets playing both first base and the outfield, he remains a risky and expensive option for the team.
Harrison Bader. The Mets already have some familiarity with Bader since he was a part of the beloved 2024 ballclub. Bader was traded mid-season last year to the Phillies and had a wonderful second half in Philly. He hit .305/.361/.463 with 5 home runs and 16 RBIs in 50 games with the Phillies. Bader would be a good low-cost option that won’t be in Queens long term, so he wouldn’t block Carson Benge, and the team could wait to develop one of their top prospects a little longer.
Carson Benge. Early in the offseason, David Stearns said Benge would have a chance to compete for a roster spot in spring, and he has certainly earned that given his meteoric rise in the system. The outfielder started 2025 in Brooklyn and ended it in Syracuse. However, in 24 games in Triple-A, he struggled, hitting just .178/.272/.311. Benge could very well turn out to be a good ballplayer, but if he does not work out, the team would be in big trouble. Their outfield is Benge, Tyrone Taylor, and Juan Soto, which is certainly very risky to put on a lineup card every night. At least, right now.
Ketel Marte. Marte would be a game-changer acquisition. He would create a nightmare for opposing pitchers in the lineup alongside Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. Last year, he hit .283/.376/.517 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs. He has not played the outfield since 2023, but he is a versatile ballplayer, and his offense makes up for any defensive deficiencies. The downside is that the cost of acquiring Marte would be high. Arizona has reportedly been asking for multiple major league-ready starting pitchers, and while the Mets do have that in Jonah Syndergaard and Brandon Sproat, it would hurt to part with them. Marte has played 174 games in his career in the outfield, so it isn’t too far fetched to bring him in and ask him to fill one of their outfield voids. Of course, he’s played two games out there since 2021 and he’s not getting any younger, so it might be a little bit far fetched to ask him to do that.
No matter what, it’s hard to believe that if the Mets lose out on Tucker, they’ll go to camp as-is with the hole. And sure, signing Tucker may be a long shot unless they seriously up their offer to be more competitive with the Blue Jays, who are reportedly willing to offer more years presently. But if the Mets have reached this point in Tucker’s free agency, it’s hard to believe the Mets haven’t made a truly compelling offer for Tucker, either in the years, with an absurdly high average annual value proposal, or a combination of the two.
And we all know Steve Cohen is both willing and capable of breaking salary barriers to get the players the club wants.
So, let’s see how this plays out.
Around the League 🚩
RHP Tarik Skubal and the Tigers failed to come to an agreement to avoid arbitration with the Cy Young winner seeking $32 million (ESPN)
Nine MLB teams are ending their contracts with Main Street Sports Group due to the financial difficulties of FanDuel Sports (ESPN)
Commissioner Rob Manfred envisions both expansion and realignment sometime in the future for Major League Baseball (CBS Sports)
Jonah Lincecum you mean?
You meant Jonah Tong, not Thor.