Sunday, November 16

Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat. 

This week's edition was written by MLB.com reporter Thomas Harrigan and content editor Elizabeth Muratore.

The Mets’ rotation was the engine behind a hot start in 2025, only for it to unravel and help sink their playoff hopes. Now, president of baseball operations David Stearns faces the task of stabilizing a staff that isn’t lacking in depth but is clouded by uncertainty -- especially at the top.

It’s arguably the Mets’ most pressing concern this winter, even with first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Díaz hitting free agency and the center-field job wide open.

Here are options Stearns could consider to address New York’s rotation issues:

1) Stick with the recent approach

Even with the Mets’ vast resources at his disposal, Stearns has avoided big splurges on free-agent starters since he took the reins, focusing instead on signing mid-tier veterans to shorter-term deals. 

That approach worked well in 2024, when new additions Luis Severino (one year, $13 million) and Sean Manaea (two years, $28 million with an opt-out) combined for a 3.69 ERA over 63 starts. But it backfired last season. 

Converted reliever Clay Holmes (three years, $38 million) was solid enough (12-8, 3.53 ERA), but Frankie Montas (two years, $34 million) and Manaea (three years, $75 million) missed time due to injuries and struggled after returning.

2) Aim for the top of the FA market

Last year’s misfires could lead Stearns to take a longer look at some of the marquee names available in free agency, but he’s still likely to proceed with caution in a market that lacks a surefire ace. 

Stearns will also need to weigh the implications of the qualifying offer. The top four domestic starters available -- Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez and Michael King -- all received the offer and are likely to reject it. That means the Mets would have to surrender their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 Draft, as well as $1 million from their international signing bonus pool, to sign one of them.  

There are no such requirements tied to Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai, who is set to be available via the posting system, but most view him as a mid-rotation arm.

3) Lean on the kids

Is it possible the Mets already have their answer internally? That’s something Stearns is surely considering after watching Nolan McLean (MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 overall prospect) pitch to a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 16 walks over 48 innings after making his big league debut in August.

Fellow prospects Jonah Tong (No. 46 overall) and Brandon Sproat (Mets’ No. 5) didn’t perform as well, but they still offer intrigue for 2026.

4) Use their improving farm system for a trade

The Mets’ farm system has improved drastically from where it was a few years ago, grabbing the seventh spot in MLB Pipeline’s most recent ranking. We’ve already mentioned McLean, Tong and Sproat. On the position-player side, the Mets have two Top 100 prospects in Carson Benge (No. 21 overall) and Jett Williams (No. 30), as well as two others -- Jacob Reimer (Mets’ No. 6) and A.J. Ewing (Mets’ No. 7) -- who made significant leaps in 2025.

New York’s collection of young talent could position the club for a big strike on the trade market should a high-end starter become available, with the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal, the Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, the Twins’ Joe Ryan, the Nationals’ MacKenzie Gore and the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara among the names circulating in the rumor mill.

Who was the first Met in franchise history to receive an MVP vote?

A) Ron Hunt

B) Ed Kranepool

C) Tom Seaver

D) Ron Swoboda

Despite narrowly missing a playoff berth on the final day of the season, the Mets were well-represented in this year’s BBWAA Awards. On Monday, McLean was rewarded for bursting on to the scene down the stretch with two fifth-place National League Rookie of the Year votes. 

On Thursday, Juan Soto earned a third-place finish in this year’s NL MVP voting, which included four second-place votes and a spot on all 30 ballots. It’s Soto’s second straight third-place MVP finish and his sixth time in eight seasons finishing in the top 10. He was joined on the ballot by teammates Francisco Lindor, who finished 10th and was listed on 18 of 30 ballots, and Alonso, who slugged his way to an 11th-place finish.

Díaz took home some hardware as well, winning his third career Reliever of the Year Award (his second with the Mets) after posting a miniscule 1.63 ERA, which led all qualified NL relievers, and notching 28 saves. He joined Josh Hader as the only pitchers to win this award three times since it was established in 2014. Díaz and Soto held company elsewhere as both were recognized on this year’s All-MLB team, with Soto earning a spot on the First Team and Díaz on the Second Team.

• The Mets Hall of Fame will get three new members in 2026, as the club announced Thursday that outfielders Carlos Beltrán and Lee Mazzilli and manager Bobby Valentine will be next year’s class of inductees. Read more >>

• Stearns addressed several pertinent offseason topics at the General Managers Meetings on Tuesday, including the chances of Alonso and Díaz returning and who will patrol center field in 2026. Read more >>

• Speaking of Díaz, he was asked at the All-MLB Awards what his chances are of returning to the Mets, which he put at “50-50.” Read more >>

• According to a report from the New York Post, Jeff McNeil had a minor offseason procedure for thoracic outlet syndrome. Read more >>

A) Ron Hunt

After finishing second in the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year vote, Hunt notched the Mets’ first MVP vote in his sophomore season.

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