It’s that time of the MLB offseason: executives are on vacation, leaving the market at a standstill. For the Mets, it’s been a disappointing offseason. Losing beloved names like Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz, while trading away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, has made David Peterson the current longest-tenured player.
Mets Rumors: Updates on Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, Okamoto, Imai, and Starting Pitching
There’s still time for David Stearns to take hold of the wheel, making their roster once again competitive. Here are the latest notes from a slow market, one that’s not expected to pick up until after the New Year.
Cody Bellinger
The Mets remain interested in Cody Bellinger, but any team interested is currently not meeting the asking price in terms of years, Jon Heyman said. At the same time, on a Bleacher Report live stream on Dec. 30, Bellinger is the No. 1 option for the Mets in terms of improving offensively, while the right-handed bat in Austin Hays serves as a name they’ve checked in on.
All offseason, it’s been a “checked in” marathon for Stearns and New York, Bellinger being no less of an exception. Scott Boras and Bellinger are currently seeking a seven-year deal, which many teams are hesitant to meet, and rightfully so. Bellinger is a solid player, but a seven-year deal seems highly unlikely, especially after Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber signed five-year deals.
Bellinger saw a surge in production with the Yankees in 2025, batting .272 with 29 home runs and an .814 OPS, providing any team in search of a versatile option with something they lack. However, the 30-year-old has experienced an up-and-down past few seasons, succeeding in Chicago and New York, but struggling during his final stretch with the Dodgers, which raises some concerns for a team considering a commitment of up to seven years. Bellinger’s market will likely be a waiting game, seeing which side cracks, whether Boras and his client take fewer years, or if a team bites the bullet and makes a long-term commitment.
Kyle Tucker
The Mets are currently viewed as a long shot for Kyle Tucker, with the Blue Jays and Dodgers serving as favorites for the perennial All-Star. Heyman put it best on his live show, saying the Mets are a long way away, if it’s even a possibility for Tucker.
Like Bellinger, the former Cub is seeking a long-term deal while serving as the best name on the market. The 28-year-old brings one of the most productive bats in the sport, even after a down year in 2025, when he batted .266 with 22 home runs and an .841 OPS, missing a short time due to injury and a minor slump.
Tucker is on a similar path to Bellinger, with little to no rumors surrounding his name, as teams currently play the waiting game to hopefully bring down his current asking price while actively gauging the market.
Kazuma Okamoto + Tatsuya Imai
Time is running short for the two Japanese phenoms, with both of their posting deadlines expiring within the next five days. The pair has had a slow market, both waiting until this week to mark their journey to the United States to meet with agent Scott Boras.
For Kazuma Okamoto, there’s considerable interest from multiple teams, including the Padres, Angels, and Pirates, which are viewed as the main landing spots. Barring any late changes, the Mets are not expected to have interest in the Japanese infielder, even though early signs pointed to Okamoto being a potential fit. Okamoto would slot in at first for the Mets, a spot currently filled by the versatile infielder Jorge Polanco, who’s contributed just one major league inning as the corner infielder.
For Tatsuya Imai, it’s been a very slow process, with the NPB star revealing that he’s yet to receive a concrete offer from an MLB team, with very little news on which teams have shown interest. The 27-year-old recorded a 1.92 ERA over 163 2/3 innings this past season for the Seibu Lions, providing any team with a young pitching option. The Mets make sense for Imai, with Stearns showing willingness to pay younger options long-term in the past, offering a six-year deal to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in the 2023 offseason.
Overall, the market for both of the international free agents will, without a doubt, pick up after the New Year. It’s just a matter of which teams will be on the phones.
Starting pitching + Trade Market
Like everywhere else, it’s been radio silence in the trade market. That’s not including the Mets’ move of Jeff McNeil to the Athletics earlier in the week. New York has shown interest all offseason in potentially moving top prospects in exchange for frontline arms to boost their starting rotation, even including the best pitcher in baseball, Tarik Skubal. Teams have called the Tigers asking about Skubal, but Detroit has yet to set a real asking price, especially as they currently envision the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner taking the mound on Opening Day in 2026. Besides Skubal, Freddy Peralta has been a name consistently mentioned, with direct ties to Stearns, along with Edward Cabrera.
Besides the trade market, the SP options remain dull, with Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez having little to no movement in their market, especially after Dylan Cease set the tone with his six-year, $200 million contract in Toronto. Jon Morosi reported earlier in the offseason that the Mets were among several teams that met with Valdez at the GM meetings, but nothing has come of it yet.
New York would be very interested in Valdez, only if the former Astros SP is willing to sign a short-term deal. The 32-year-old has been a consistent and durable option throughout his major league career, posting a 3.66 ERA in 192 innings, along with 187 strikeouts and a 1.27 WHIP. The current asking price for the left-hander is around six years, which has led teams to be reluctant to offer any starter on the market.
Main Photo Credits: Brad Penner-Imagn Images