The New York Mets have had a disastrous start to the offseason. They lost Edwin Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers, saw Kyle Schwarber re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, and lost Pete Alonso to the Baltimore Orioles. With Brandon Nimmo gone as well, there will be significant changes for the Amazins in 2026. The Mets should trade for St Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras to kick off the additions this offseason.
Contreras is a converted catcher who spent the entire year at first base in 2025. He hit 20 homers, knocked in 80 runs, and ranked third in outs above average among first basemen, per Fangraphs. The Cardinals are heading into a rebuild, which means they will listen to trade offers for their veterans if the price is right. Contreras has two years left at $18.5 million with a club option for 2028.
The Mets now have an opening at first base, but have a crowded infield elsewhere. Marcus Semien comes in to play second base, pushing Luisangel Acuña out of the main rotation. Meanwhile, at third, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty are competing for playing time. Adding one of those three young players in this deal could help get it over the line.
The Cardinals will likely be looking for prospects, as their rebuild is just beginning. Pitcher Will Watson and outfielder Eli Serrano III would fit their timeline better as younger prospects. While the Mets are trying to win now, the Cardinals are building for the future. Contreras would be a much better fit in Queens than he would be in St Louis.
There are free agents for the Mets to go after, but the best way to cut the pain of losing Alonso is to trade for another power-hitting first baseman. Contreras fits that bill and could be available.
Where else should the Mets look?
The Contreras report came from MLB.com's St Louis reporter, John Denton. While the trade is far from done, it makes a lot of sense for both sides and could get New York back in the right direction. But there is more work to do for the Mets, namely on the mound.
Injury and poor performance forced three rookies to hold down the top of the rotation for the Mets last September. While Nolan McLean's performances were electric, the rotation needs more veteran innings this season. Two names are at the top of the free-agent class: Framber Valdez and Tatsuya Imai.
Valdez has been a top-end starter for the Astros since 2018. He has finished in the top ten in the Cy Young voting three times, but did not have the best season in 2025. He seemed to intentionally cross up his catcher in a game against the Yankees this year, which may scare teams away. But the other options are not perfect either.
Imai has never thrown an MLB inning, but comes over with high expectations from Japan. If the Mets are the highest bidder, which they should be after losing these three players, Imai could land in Queens. His comments about wanting to beat the other Japanese superstars in MLB could lead to a date in New York.
The Mets had to change the vibes after their September collapse and winning just 83 games in the regular season. They missed the playoffs despite Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, and Alonso all putting together great seasons. Now, with Alonso gone, they have holes to fill on the roster. Will it be through a trade for Contreras? Or will they go after Cody Bellinger, who can play outfield and first base? Steve Cohen and David Stearns are not well-liked in New York right now, but that can change within hours.
