Mets 2025 Free Agents, Trade Targets, Offseason Guide After September Collapse
After a surprising NLCS run a year ago, the New York Mets wooed Juan Soto away from the crosstown rival Mets. While Soto is headed for a top-five finish in NL MVP voting, his first season in Flushing didn't lead to the type of success the Mets had hoped for.
Despite being just a half-game back of the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East race at the All-Star Break, the Mets finished a distant second in the division.
In fact, a disastrous second half that saw the Mets go 83-79 ultimately pushed the Mets out of the postseason race altogether. President of baseball operations David Stearns has previously said that Carlos Mendoza will return as skipper in 2026, and given how much the team overachieved last season, that's probably the right decision. But given the second-half swoon, Stearns will likely be asked to reiterate that decision.
Additionally, Stearns will have to determine how the Mets move forward this offseason with multiple key players, all while trying to improve a club that ultimately fell short of reaching the postseason.
Here's a look at what's facing Steve Cohen's club this winter.
Traditional Free Agents
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Ryan Helsley: A year after winning the Trevor Hoffman Award as the NL's best relievers, Helsley will likely head to the open market looking for a one-year, prove-it deal. 2025 was a disastrous campaign for the hard-throwing righty, particularly once the St. Louis Cardinals traded him to the Mets before the trade deadline. He surely won't be back.
Starling Marte: Though he had some very productive stretches during his four seasons with the Mets—including when he was an All-Star in 2019—it's hard to overlook the fact that Marte signed a four-year/$78 million deal the same winter that Kyle Schwarber signed a matching deal with the division-rival Phillies. How much better would the Mets have been if they signed Schwarber? In any event, Marte will turn 37 in October, so while his career will continue, it probably won't be in Queens.
Cedric Mullins: When Mullins finished ninth in AL MVP voting in 2021, he appeared headed towards superstar status. But since posting a 6.0 WAR in 2021, FanGraphs says that Mullins has been worth 9 WAR total over the past four seasons. He wasn't effective after being acquired by the Mets from the Baltimore Orioles, so the 31-year-old is going to be headed elsewhere this offseason.
Gregory Soto: Also acquired from the O's, Soto didn't deliver the impact that the Mets had hoped for, posting a 4.70 ERA over 24 appearances for the Mets. If Soto had pitched longer in the LOOGY Era, he would have been much more valuable than he is in the three-batter-minimum Era where he has to face righties.
Tyler Rogers: One of the most unhittable relievers for right-handed batters because of his submarine style, Rogers did pitch well for the Mets after a midseason trade from the San Francisco Giants. He will turn 35 in December, but Rogers is probably someone worth bringing back, even if it takes a multi-year commitment.
Ryne Stanek: Since begin traded from the Seattle Mariners last July, Stanek has an unsightly 5.25 ERA. The door won't hit him on his way out this offseason.
Griffin Canning: This will be an interesting one because Canning was 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA over 16 starts this season for the Mets before his left achilles ruptured in late June. Someone will be intrigued by how he looked for the Mets prior to that injury, but New York might need more of a sure thing in free agency this offseason.
Jesse Winker: The Mets got a disappointing return on their investment after re-signing Winker for $8 million last offseason. He hit .229 with a .709 OPS in just 26 games with a right oblique strain and back inflammation turning this into a lost season. For a team that needs a strong-side platoon outfielder next year, Winker will be an interesting gamble.
Contract Option Decisions
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Pete Alonso: It felt last offseason like Alonso wanted the Mets more than they wanted him. The two sides settled on a front-loaded two-year, $54 million deal that will allow Alonso to opt out this offseason. The five-time All-Star confirmed he will be hitting the open market once again.
Things could be different for Alonso this time around. Though he'll be entering his age-31 season, he should be more attractive to power-needy teams this winter. First of all, Alonso is just coming off a better season this time around, with his .865 OPS in 2025 significantly better than the .788 OPS he posted in 2024. Secondly, Alonso won't have a qualifying offer attached to him this time around, so teams won't have to give up draft compensation to sign him.
Beyond how much he means to their team, the thought of losing Alonso for nothing should make the Mets more motivated to get a deal done with the franchise's Home Run King this offseason. But Alonso will have better external options this time around if he feels disrespected by the Mets.
Edwin Díaz: The third season of Díaz's five-year, $102 million deal was by far the most successful one to this point, with the righty turning in his best season since his legendary 2022 campaign.
Díaz will likely opt out of the final two guaranteed years of his deal with the Mets—which would pay him just shy of $31 million—and head to free agency. Even as he enters his age-32 season, Díaz should be able to get at least three guaranteed years on the open market.
Of course, the Mets could do what they did last time and sign Díaz before he even hits free agency. He has immense value to the Mets, both as a pitcher and because his entrance brings fans out to Citi Field.
Frankie Montas: Considering he had Tommy John surgery in September, Montas will miss all of 2026. So picking up his $17 million player option is a no-brainer from a business perspective.
A.J. Minter: After eight seasons with the division-rival Atlanta Braves, Minter looked sharp over his first 16 appearances with the Mets, posting a 1.64 ERA. But the tough lefty had season-ending surgery on his left lat muscle in May, so he'll definitely pick up his $11 million player option for 2026. If healthy, that could be a mutually beneficial arrangement for both parties.
Brooks Raley: Since returning from Tommy John surgery, Raley has pitched very well for the Mets, posting a 2.25 ERA over 28 appearances. Teams always want capable left-handed options out of the bullpen, so picking up his $4.75 million club option for 2026 seems like an easy call for the Mets.
Drew Smith: Perhaps Smith will return in some other form, but after having Tommy John surgery with an internal brace put in back in July, the Mets probably aren't going to pick up his $2 million option for 2026.
Biggest Needs
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If the Mets don't re-sign Alonso and/or Díaz, obviously first base and/or closer will jump to the top of the list.
But from a big-picture perspective, David Stearns needs to find a workhorse starter. It's a valuable skill to have a president of baseball operations who can find value at the margins in the starting rotation. But it's a lot easier to take risks on uncertain-but-intriguing guys when you have a rotation anchor.
Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson and Clay Holmes have all struggled to varying degrees in the second half of the season. Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong are all intriguing young talents, but each will be entering their first full season in the majors in 2026. This rotation would have a much better outlook if you're hoping on guys like Senga, Manaea and Peterson to bounce back in 2026, as opposed to counting on it.
Additionally, if the Mets were to land a front-of-the-rotation starter, maybe it would make someone else expendable. Perhaps Holmes could be used out of the bullpen next year. Maybe one of the veterans could become a trade candidate. Having a sure thing would give the Mets flexibility heading into the 2026 season.
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Free Agent Targets
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It's easy to say that the Mets need a sure thing at the top of their rotation. It may be harder to actually find one.
Framber Valdez projects to be the top free-agent starting pitcher available this offseason. Valdez is postseason-tested, but he will be entering his age-32 season and coming off a contract year in which he posted a 5.20 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star Break. Valdez will surely decline a qualifying offer from the Houston Astros, so it would also take giving up draft-pick compensation to sign him.
Ranger Suárez of the NL East-rival Phillies is a former All-Star with extensive postseason experience who's going to be a free agent. Like Valdez, he will receive a qualifying offer. And for as fun as Suárez is when he's on the mound, the 30-year-old lefty has spent time on the injured list with back issues in three of the last four seasons.
Dylan Cease and Zac Gallen—two other qualifying offer candidates—have been aces in the past and are still relatively young, but will each be coming off down years. Michael King has pitched to a 3.13 ERA since being acquired by the San Diego Padres in the deal that sent Soto to the Yankees, but right shoulder and left knee inflammation have cost him large chunks of the 2025 season.
It's possible that the Mets could find a solution in their quest for an ace in free agency. However, if the Mets aren't excited about giving a long-term deal to any of these arms, it wouldn't be a huge surprise.
Trade Targets
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If none of the free agents piques the interest of the Mets, they could go the trade route in an attempt to acquire an ace.
Former NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara looked much more like himself in the second half of the season. After posting a 7.22 ERA in his first 18 starts back from Tommy John surgery, Alcantara finished his 2024 campaign with a 3.33 ERA over his final 13 starts.
The Marlins should keep Alcantara and try to contend, but history tells us that they're more likely to trade the two-time All-Star. Considering he's owed $17.3 million in 2025, and has an affordable $21 million club option for 2026, Alcantara would make quite a bit of sense for the Mets—and just about every other-pitching needy team—this winter.
It would be interesting to know if the Mets would be willing to include Sproat in a trade like this. He's 25, so he's older than both McLean and Tong, who the Mets will likely be extremely protective of.
Other intriguing potential trade options for the Mets to bolster the top of their rotation would be Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals. Luis Severino could also be an interesting guy to consider on a reunion if the Athletics are willing to eat a portion of the $47 million he's owed over the next two seasons.
Projected 2025 Opening Day Roster
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C: Francisco Alvarez
1B: Pete Alonso
2B: Luisangel Acuña
SS: Francisco Lindor
3B: Mark Vientos
LF: Brandon Nimmo
CF: Jeff McNeil
RF: Juan Soto
DH: Marcell Ozuna
- Not only are we projecting that the Mets will re-sign Alonso, but we are also adding two-time Silver Slugger Award winner Marcell Ozuna on a one-year deal at DH. It wouldn't be that dissimilar to signing J.D. Martinez a couple of offseasons ago. Ozuna posted a .761 OPS in 2025, but a .916 OPS between 2023 and 2024. Even at age 35, Ozuna would be an interesting gamble for a season.
Pitching Staff
- David Peterson
2. Nolan McLean
3. Sean Manaea
4. Luis Severino
5. Brandon Sproat
Closer: Edwin Díaz
- Díaz is too valuable to lose, so the Mets will also re-sign him, keeping the trumpets alive at Citi Field.
- Maneuvering the starting rotation is going to be a greater challenge. Severino was outspoken about his dislike for pitching at Sutter Health Park, which is backed up by a 5.16 ERA in 20 home starts compared to a 3.10 ERA in nine road starts. A return to the Mets would make sense for the team and the pitcher.
- In this scenario, Senga would become a trade candidate. He's shown ace flashes, but has struggled to stay healthy in three MLB seasons, while also having a nightmarish second half in 2025.
- Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Tong would open the season at Triple-A Syracuse. As the Mets have shown this year, it takes much more than five starters to get through a full season.
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