The New York Mets didn’t just fall short in 2025 — they flat-out faceplanted. With baseball’s biggest payroll and Juan Soto’s record-breaking contract setting expectations sky-high, the Mets were supposed to be the team to beat. Instead, they faded badly down the stretch, limping to an 83–79 finish and missing the postseason entirely. For a team built to win now, that kind of collapse wasn’t just frustrating — it was unacceptable.
Cohen and Stearns Have No Room for Error
Owner Steven Cohen didn’t spend billions to build an 83-win club, and president of baseball operations David Stearns knows it. Both men are determined to make sure 2026 doesn’t become another exercise in “what went wrong?” As Mets insider Anthony DiComo put it during his appearance on Baseball Night in New York, the front office has to go big.
“You sign Pete Alonso, you sign Edwin Díaz, but then on top of that, you go out and get an ace,” DiComo said — a blunt but accurate roadmap for how the Mets can reassert themselves as contenders.
He pointed to possible targets like Pablo López, Tarik Skubal, Sandy Alcantara, or Joe Ryan, all of whom would immediately stabilize the top of the rotation and bring the kind of presence that was missing last season.
The Rotation Remains the Weak Link
The Mets’ rotation was inconsistent throughout 2025, and while there were flashes of brilliance from Kodai Senga and some encouraging outings from young arms, there simply wasn’t enough reliability. DiComo mentioned the importance of pairing a true ace with the talent already in place — guys like Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat, assuming the latter two aren’t moved in trades. Veterans like Sean Manaea and David Peterson are serviceable, but this roster needs someone who can take the ball every fifth day and change the tone of a series.
Even with Clay Holmes succeeding as a starter and a few young arms on the rise, New York can’t afford to gamble on “potential.” This is a team built to win immediately, not to experiment.
Retaining Alonso and Díaz Is Non-Negotiable
Re-signing Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz isn’t optional — it’s foundational. Both players can opt out of their current deals, and both will command major money on the open market. Alonso, coming off another powerful season and still the face of the franchise, has already made it clear he intends to test free agency. It will take a long-term, expensive contract to keep him in Queens, but as DiComo put it, the Mets simply have to “do whatever it takes.”
Díaz, too, is a must-keep. Even with the ups and downs since his dominant 2022 campaign, he remains one of the most intimidating closers in baseball. Losing him would leave a massive hole at the back of the bullpen, and finding a replacement even close to his caliber would be both risky and expensive.
The Path Forward
So where does this leave the Mets? With work to do — but a clear path to redemption. They need an ace. They need to lock up their cornerstone slugger. They need their closer back in blue and orange. Do those three things, and suddenly, this team looks like a legitimate contender again.
The foundation is still there: Francisco Lindor, Soto, Alonso, Senga, Díaz, and a wave of promising young talent. What’s missing is that sense of edge and stability the Mets lost somewhere in the second half of 2025.
If Cohen and Stearns can bring that back — through decisive moves, not half measures — the Mets could very well turn one of baseball’s most disappointing seasons into the fuel for something far bigger in 2026.