Two major gut punches were thrown to New York Mets fans on back-to-back days, and three in just the last two and a half weeks. After trading away Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien and letting Edwin Díaz leave for the Los Angeles Dodgers and their warm weather, the biggest of them all came when Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns decided to let Pete Alonso shake hands with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.
Just like that, the Mets lost their sparkplug, their closer, and their franchise home run leader in one whole offseason. Díaz and the Dodgers agreed to a three-year, $69 million deal, whereas Alonso and the Orioles agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal, according to multiple sources. Neither Díaz’s nor Alonso’s deals are official, as they have yet to pass a physical.
Entering this offseason, Brandon Nimmo, Drew Smith, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz ranked as four of the Mets’ five longest tenured players.
They are all gone.
The fifth player heading into the offseason was Jeff McNeil, a trade candidate.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) December 10, 2025
What’s Next for David Stearns and the Mets
After the Mets offered Díaz a three-year, $66 million deal, he took it to the Dodgers and said, essentially, “beat this and I’m yours.” The Dodgers did just that, adding three million, and Díaz never returned to the Mets because his camp felt the Mets weren’t going to outbid the Dodgers.
With Alonso, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo said David Stearns and owner Steve Cohen never made a formal offer to the first baseman because they were “reluctant to go over three years,” and it quickly became clear that Alonso’s market would climb beyond what the Mets were comfortable touching. Once the Orioles – having missed out on Kyle Schwarber after matching Philadelphia’s five-year, $150 million offer – signaled they were willing to go five years, Alonso ultimately landed there.
Now Nimmo, Díaz, and Alonso are all gone. So, where does Stearns and the rest of the front office go from here?
The immediate focus is still the pitching – the biggest reason the Mets missed the postseason in 2025. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that the club is hesitant to hand out long-term deals to free-agent starters, a stance that is not necessarily unusual.
Which Pitchers Are Still Available?
As the Winter Meetings wrap up, teams haven’t made any trades or signed any big free-agent starters in the last three days. Framber Valdez – whom the Mets met with at the GM meetings in November, Tatsuya Imai and Michael King, as well as Ranger Suárez are all still possibilities for a Mets team that would like to pair one of those names with rookie Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene in the middle of August and pitched to a a sparkling 2.06 ERA in 48 innings pitched.
Earlier in the offseason, Sammon reported that executives around the league expect the Mets to get one starter. If they were to get two, they would have to subtract. The Mets are reportedly engaged in trade talks for right-hander Kodai Senga and are listening to calls on lefty David Peterson. Keep an eye out for King, whom the Mets have a serious interest in and had a video call with on Monday. King, 30, played for the New York Yankees from 2019 to 2023, where current Mets manager Carlos Mendoza coached – a connection that helps to explain why he appeals to the Mets.
Addressing First Base/Outfield
After losing the aforementioned Pete Alonso, David Stearns and the Mets have moved on. According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, one first base solution they’ve floated internally has been a platoon of Jeff McNeil and free-agent Paul Goldschmidt. McNeil, who will turn 34 in April, is owed $15.75 million in 2026. This season marks the final guaranteed year of his four-year, $50 million extension, and also includes a $2 million buyout on a $15.75 million club option for 2027. The Mets plan to shop him this offseason in an effort to clear his salary from their books.
Goldschmidt, 38, the 2022 National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals, is coming off arguably the worst season of his career. He slashed .274/.328/.403 (104 OPS+) in 146 games with the Yankees in 2025. His 1.2 bWAR was his lowest total over a full season in his career — including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign.
Other outfield (and technically a first base option) still out on the open market include Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker. However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Mets have given “no indication” they are pursuing Bellinger or Tucker.
Carson Benge is also an option if the team decides to go internal. Stearns said at the GM meetings that Benge would have the opportunity to come into spring training and have a chance to make the Opening Day roster.
Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reports that Starling Marte and the Mets both expressed mutual interest in a reunion. Marte, 37, is coming off a season in which he slashed .270/.335/.410 with a .745 OPS, nine home runs, and 34 RBI with a 1.0 bWAR in 98 games for the Mets. Marte was an All-Star with the team in 2022.
The Bullpen
The recent signing of Devin Williams covers them in the ninth inning. He will now be their closer. Left-handers A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley are the only other stable arms behind Williams. Reports consistently link the Mets to former Padres closer Robert Suarez, who could slide into a setup role. Former Rays closer Pete Fairbanks is another name to look out for.
David Stearns and Steve Cohen’s Comments
“I’m very optimistic about where our offseason is headed,” Stearns said. “We’ve certainly got work to do, but there are a lot of good players out there, and I am confident that we’re really going to like where our team is once we get to Opening Day.”
“I totally understand the fans’ reaction,” said Mets owner Steve Cohen. “There is lots of offseason left to put a playoff team on the field.”
More Notes
Because the Mets missed out on a protected Top-6 pick, MLB dropped their first selection in the 2026 Draft by 10 spots as a penalty for exceeding the second Competitive Balance Tax threshold. As a result, the Mets will pick 27th overall in next year’s Draft.
In the Rule 5 Draft, the Mets did not select or lose any players during the Major League phase. In the Minor League phase, they drafted right-hander Justin Armbruester and left-handers Aaron Rozek and Matt Turner. The team lost right-handers TJ Shook, Trey McLoughlin, and Dylan Tebrake.
Main Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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