The New York Mets entered the 2025-26 offseason knowing it could get uncomfortable. Two cornerstone players—Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz—were holding opt-outs that could dramatically reshape the team’s future.
Now, both have made it official. Alonso and Díaz are free agents, and the Mets face an offseason defined by whether they can (or should) bring them back.
Alonso Bets on Himself Again
For weeks, Pete Alonso had been transparent about his intentions. He was going to test free agency, and on Monday, he followed through. The Mets slugger, fresh off another excellent season, officially declined his player option for 2026.
Alonso’s resume needs no embellishment. He’s the franchise’s all-time home run leader, and he added 38 more long balls in 2025, driving in 126 runs with a 141 wRC+. Those numbers place him comfortably among the elite power bats in the league. That production doesn’t grow on trees, and the Mets know it.
The 30-year-old first baseman signed a two-year, $54 million deal before the 2025 season to avoid chaos, but in opting out, he’s giving up $24 million guaranteed for the chance at a longer commitment. Given his track record and his role as one of the faces of the franchise, Alonso’s decision feels less like a risk and more like a calculated push for stability—and respect—on the open market.
Díaz Reclaims His Dominance
Edwin Díaz’s case is a little different, but no less significant. After a tough 2024 marked by inconsistency and injury recovery after his gruesome 2023 injury, the closer rediscovered his form in 2025. He finished with 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA across 62 appearances, flashing the same overpowering stuff that once made him the most dominant reliever in baseball.
His 98 strikeouts ranked sixth among all MLB relievers, and while his season began with concerns over lost velocity, he found his rhythm as the summer went on. By the end, the fastball was back, the slider was biting, and Díaz looked like himself again.
By opting out of his five-year, $102 million deal signed in 2023, Díaz is leaving two years and $38 million on the table. That’s no small gamble for a 31-year-old pitcher. But when you’re throwing like the best version of yourself again, the timing might be perfect.
The Mets’ Fork in the Road
The Mets, of course, now sit at a crossroads. They need both of these players—maybe not for 2030, but certainly for 2026. The Phillies have established themselves as the class of the NL East, and the Mets can’t afford to lose two of their most productive stars without a clear plan to replace them.
Financially, New York can handle it. Steve Cohen has never been shy about spending, but the front office, under David Stearns, has shown a preference for smarter, longer-term investments rather than emotional ones. That could complicate negotiations if Alonso or Díaz are seeking deals stretching deep into their mid-30s.
Still, talent like this doesn’t come cheap—or often. Alonso remains one of the sport’s premier right-handed sluggers, and Díaz, when healthy, is the kind of late-inning weapon that can tilt a division race.
What Comes Next?
Both stars leaving at once would be a gut punch to the Mets fan base, not just for the on-field void but for what it represents. Alonso and Díaz are symbols of the Mets’ identity—the power, the flash, the intensity. Losing both would mean starting over in ways this organization thought it had moved past.
The Mets can still bring them back, and they probably should. But the price, and the years, will determine everything. Do the Mets double down on the players who helped define their recent era, or do they pivot toward something new?
It’s the kind of offseason that will reveal what direction New York truly wants to take—and how much keeping stars like Alonso and Díaz really means to the Mets’ future.