The New York Mets reached the NLCS in 2024 before losing to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2. New York expected to once again contend for a title in 2025 after signing Juan Soto in free agency. But the Mets missed the playoffs in a disappointing season.
Now New York faces several key roster decisions in a pivotal offseason. Both Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz opted out of their deals to become free agents. As president of baseball operations David Stearns considers bringing those players back on long term contracts, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal urged the Mets to shore up their rotation.
“They’re going to be an interesting team to watch. Because, obviously, they got a ton of money invested in this team,” Rosenthal noted, per Foul Territory. “While [Diaz and Alonso] are important… starting pitching is why they collapsed last year. That was the downfall of the Mets, and they've got to address it.”
Mets could bolster starting rotation in free agency
The 83-79 Mets narrowly missed out on the postseason after losing the tie-breaker for the third and final NL Wild Card berth to the Cincinnati Reds.
New York’s starting pitching was a major weakness for the team all season. But it was particularly problematic down the stretch. The Mets turned to a trio of rookie starters to save the season. But the plan didn’t work and, despite a soaring payroll, New York was eliminated from playoff contention.
This offseason, Rosenthal hopes the Mets take a different approach. “The one thing David Stearns has not done as a head of baseball operations is spend heavily in free agency on starting pitching,” Rosenthal said. “I would expect [the Mets] are going to sign a big starter this offseason and David Stearns is going to go out of his comfort zone to do that.”
Free agent Zac Gallen was suggested as a target for the Mets. The long-time Arizona Diamondbacks righty has been described as a good fit for New York. However, Ranger Suarez, Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez and Tatsuya Imai are also potential free agent options.
In addition to exploring the open market, Rosenthal believes the Mets will also investigate potential trade options. “I would expect that they’re going to be active in trade talks for a starting pitcher. [However] there’s not a clear picture yet on which ones are actually going to move.”
