Unpacking a potential Mets move for Kyle Schwarber
Plus, the Mets are in the thick of the race for a number of starters, and Devin Williams spoke for the first time as a Met
What’s up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets are considered to be “among the favorites” to sign LHP Framber Valdez (MLB.com)
With starting pitching a major need, the Mets are also believed to be showing strong interest in RHP Michael King and RHP Tatsuya Imai and could also “be in the mix” for free agent LHP Ranger Suárez this winter (MLB.com)
The Mets could well emerge as the biggest rival to the Phillies for free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber ESPN)
Mets top prospect SS Jett Williams has been working out in Arizona with free agent 3B Alex Bregman (SI)
The A’s are looking to increase their payroll ahead of their move to Vegas, and a trade for 2B Jeff McNeil could be a possibility (Athletic)
Roster Moves 📰
Claimed RHP Cooper Criswell off waivers from Boston
Rumor Mill 🔎
The Tigers continue to be engaged with teams that are interested in acquiring LHP Tarik Skubal, although the asking price will be “enormous” (ESPN)
The Twins aren’t currently looking to trade away any of their foundational pieces this offseason, including OF Byron Buxton and RHP Joe Ryan (Athletic)
There is reportedly a “ton of trade talk” happening in and around MLB right now, with Nationals LHP MacKenzie Gore among the names that could be moved this winter (ESPN)
There is a strong possibility that the Marlins end up moving one of their key starters this offseason (Athletic)
The Red Sox could look to sign free agent INF Bo Bichette if they miss out on bringing back 3B Alex Bregman (Athletic)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
On this week’s pod, host Rich MacLeod is joined by Roger Cormier – creator of The Mets Newsletter – to discuss the biggest surprises (so far) of this Mets offseason, whether or not fans should trust David Stearns, and talk through the latest rumors ahead of the Winter Meetings.
You can enjoy a free preview of this week’s episode on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
Winter Ball ❄️
INF Ronny Mauricio made his winter league debut with LIDOM on Friday night, blasting a 401 feet home run to give his team the lead. Mauricio finished the night 1-for-5 with two strikeouts
Devin Williams speaks 🗣️
After signing a three-year deal with the Mets earlier this week, new reliever Devin Williams spoke to members of the media on Friday. Here’s a collection of the highlights:
Williams listed off a number of reasons as to why he chose the Mets, including the organization’s desire to win and his familiarity with president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Offered the closer role by other teams, Williams was asked about Edwin Díaz’s return and called it a “good situation” if the three-time All-Star returns to Queens, adding that “more good arms is always a good thing.”
One of the biggest nuggets to emerge from Williams’ media availability was the fact that the righty has been working on adding a gyro slider to his pitch mix for the 2026 season, while also working on his cutter that he threw just twice all of last year.
Finally, Williams spoke about the Mets’ vaunted pitching lab, revealing that he’s “really curious” to see what new pitching coach Justin Willard has in store for him.
Does going after Kyle Schwarber really make sense for the Mets? ✍🏻
The Hot Stove is bubbling away nicely, and the amount of juicy rumors should only intensify ahead of the Winter Meetings getting underway on Sunday.
As expected, the Mets are being linked to almost every top free agent available, and there will be a lot to unpack over the coming days.
For now, let’s start with a mouthwatering nugget that could end up becoming the story of the offseason if it indeed has any meat on the bone.
Per Buster Olney of ESPN, the Mets are being seen as a team that could really push the Phillies for Kyle Schwarber. At the very least, the Mets could succeed in driving up the price for a rival if nothing else. But, on the flip side, the prospect of Schwarber playing in Queens is a tantalizing prospect for a slew of different reasons.
Now, at this point, it is worth pointing out that Will Sammon of The Athletic noted on SNY’s Baseball Night in New York that there is interest from the Mets in Schwarber, but he questions the level of the interest.
For the sake of this newsletter, let’s go with Olney’s report and assume that the Mets do have serious interest in stealing Schwarber from the Phillies. Is that a move that really makes sense for this team with all of the other needs they have to address this winter?
Before we really dive in and unpack it all, let’s start with the basic fundamentals…
Schwarber is an elite power hitter who excels at destroying baseballs and providing a hell of a lot of power to a lineup. He is also elite when it comes to hitting in the clutch, and he’s also tried and tested in the biggest moments. Plus, per Olney, Schwarber is “known as someone who works to pull players together,” and in the wake of the Marcus Semien trade, we know that improving the clubhouse chemistry is on the Mets’ to-do list this winter.
Furthermore, Schwarber is coming off an MVP-caliber year in which he mashed 56 homers with 132 RBIs, while hitting .240/.365/.563/.928 with 23 doubles and 108 walks. When you also consider Schwarber’s career on-base percentage of .346, it is hard not to drool when thinking of the potential of teams having to get through Schwarber, Juan Soto, and Francisco Lindor in a single inning. Schwarber’s addition would certainly lengthen this lineup, while adding considerably more power and on-base threats.
But, back to the original question, does a move for Schwarber really work when you look at the bigger picture?
As Michael Baron touched on in his newsletter on Thursday, Schwarber doesn’t exactly help the balance of this lineup given that he’s another lefty, not to mention the fact that he strikes out a lot (197 strikeouts for a 27.2 strikeout percentage in 2025). He also isn’t a great contact hitter, he’s about to turn 33, and he doesn’t exactly fit into the Mets’ philosophy of improving their run prevention game.
The fact that Schwarber is strictly a DH also carries some potential negative implications for the Mets in that, well, he doesn’t play defense at all which is an area of need for this club.
If the front office did opt to go all out for Schwarber, and if they succeed, then that would all but rule out moves for Pete Alonso, Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger?
After all, you can’t sign everyone to long-term deals, and you also can’t go too left-handed, either. In that scenario, the team would still need to add at least one outfielder on the cheap. You can’t expect the likes of Carson Benge and Jett Williams to both hit the ground running in the outfield, and it also isn’t really feasible for a contender to hand two key outfield spots to a pair of prospects. You could start one of Benge or Williams in the outfield, and then sign a defense-first left-handed hitter to platoon with Tyrone Taylor in center field. Even then, you would probably still need another veteran outfielder as insurance in case things don’t work out for whatever prospect makes the Opening Day roster.
With that in mind, you can make a compelling argument that it would really behoove the Mets to focus on signing either Bellinger or Tucker over Schwarber. Both Bellinger and Tucker offer great defense as well as good offense, and in the case of Bellinger, the Mets would be getting a lefty bat and a multifaceted defensive player who can play multiple positions for similar money to what they would be giving Schwarber just to DH every day.
Another thing to consider is that signing Schwarber also doesn’t solve the current question mark at first base. If Alonso signs elsewhere - which I assume would be the case if the Mets go get Schwarber - the Mets would then have to go out and sign a replacement first baseman in addition to at least one outfielder. That’s unless, of course, the front office is happy with sticking Mark Vientos at first, but I don’t think that’s really a feasible plan of attack, especially long-term. Again, signing Schwarber would likely preclude the Mets from going out and signing Bellinger, who can also play first, meaning that the team would still be left with multiple holes to fill.
Now, if Alonso does return, then having both Schwarber and Alonso in the same lineup also carries its fair share of pros and cons, assuming they get both which isn’t a slam dunk. That’s a lot of strikeouts to carry in any lineup, and we’ve seen how some teams that have a handful of players who strike out a lot struggle in the postseason. On the other hand, though, the power potential alone of Schwarber and Alonso should excite any Mets fan, and having the pair of them in the same lineup would really make this a potent and deep offense.
But wait, there’s more!
In a world where both Alonso and Schwarber are Mets, you would have to imagine that means Brett Baty ends up as the team’s everyday third baseman. That might be the case anyway since there’s so much work to do with this roster and they can only tackle what they can tackle. And, again, that would then open up a pathway for either Benge or Williams to be the team’s everyday starting left fielder. The front office would still need to add a cost-effective right-handed veteran to platoon with Taylor out in center field.
And again, the possibility also exists that adding Schwarber could harm the Mets’ chances to bring back Alonso too. According to WFAN’s Sal Licata, the Mets are only willing to give Alonso a three-year contract, and that will unlikely be enough to get a deal done. So, does that mean the front office is only willing to give Alonso three years while they wait to see if they have a real shot at Schwarber? And, if they miss out on Schwarber, does that then mean they would be willing to up their offer to Alonso? Whether what Licata said is true or not, it is yet another ingredient to throw into the pot when it comes to the Schwarber conversation.
All in all, there is a lot to consider and even more to ponder when it comes to the possibility of Schwarber becoming a Met. One way to look at it from a wide-angled lens is that the Mets trade the offense-first Brandon Nimmo for the defense-first Marcus Semien, and then sign the offense-first Schwarber, thus improving both the offense and the defense with two transactions. And, again, that lineup with Schwarber, Soto, Alonso, and Lindor could be explosive to say the least if they can swing it (no pun intended!).
Of course, there are a lot of potential downsides and complications too, and signing Schwarber alone may not make the Mets a better team given all of their other needs. But, with the Mets now apparent players in the race for Schwarber, this is going to be a fun conversation to have and unpack further over the coming days and weeks.
Around the League 🚩
The Tigers signed RHP Drew Anderson from the KBO to a one-year deal, with a club option (The Athletic)
The Braves claimed RHP Osvaldo Bido and RHP Anthony Molina off waivers from the A’s and the Rockies, respectively
The Pirates claimed former top prospect INF Marco Luciano off waivers from the Giants
Which is why Semien's $72 million over the next 3 years could be better spent. Acuna has shown his defense at 2B and he costs peanuts. Whatever they may lose in offense with Acuna, if any, can be more than made up with a Tucker in LF, Pete at 1B, Schwaber at DH or any other bat(s) they choose to spend that $72 million on. We're talking 2 different languages, Stearns is talking gloves and we keep talking bats. I know, I'm beating a dead horse.
I call bullshit on the Sal Liccata story that the Mets are offering 3 years for Pete. In what world is that even leaked? Going into the offseason it was at least somewhat known that the Mets were quite comfortable at 4 years and Pete was wanting 5 plus. Nobody wants Pete for 5 plus years. The Mets will match any offer at 4 years. That’s stupid for him to walk over years if the money is the same. If he really wants to keep playing after the 4 years he can hit the DH racket and sign 15-20 mil/yr. Deals to be a primary DH/Back up first baseman. Where do these asshats come up with the balls to go on TV and report such nonsense? These shitheads should be shot if their reporting winds up to be fake.