The Mets under Steve Cohen have been trying as hard as they can to bring a championship home to their fans after decades of futility (39 years and counting). There is no doubt that Steve is pouring his energy, his business acumen, and his money into this quest. To date it has not succeeded.
There have been several different approaches to achieving the ultimate goal, including failed attempts to pay top dollar for top players (Lindor, Scherzer, Verlander, Soto), extensions to solid contributors (McNeil, Nimmo, Manaea), and using the best technology and techniques to rebuild flawed talent (Severino, Quintana, Manaea, Montas). In parallel they have been filling the minor league pipeline with talented youth to fill the future with home-schooled talent.
None of these have worked, and one thing that we all learn from painful experience is “not to do THAT again”. But it is not that easy. There are 30 teams in MLB that are all going through the same process of attempting to find the winning formula. Every year only one can capture the prize, and a repeat title has not happened in 25 years. (Let’s not talk about the 2000 series). So not only are the Mets trying to refine their formula, but they are competing against 29 other teams that are refining theirs. This means that what was good enough to win last year may not be good enough next year. What worked (or didn’t work) last year may or may not work next year.
So don’t throw away the idea of procuring a top notch starting pitcher for the 2026 season just because paying Scherzer and Verlander $40M apiece didn’t work in 2023. Don’t throw away the idea of a reclamation project on a Sean Manaea just because he couldn’t continue his 2024 success into 2025. No, the answer lies not only in getting the right pieces but putting them together in the right order.
One could argue that the Mets had the right pieces in 2025, and their status as the best team in baseball in mid-June laid testimony to that claim. However, the pieces were not in the right order, so when certain pieces fell out the rest of the puzzle fell apart. Maybe it wasn’t the pieces – maybe it was the wrong glue. Maybe it wasn’t the puzzle but the puzzle master himself. So now the table has been cleared, and the front office will go about selecting new pieces and plotting the order of assembly to build a superior product in 2026.
Now I invite you to become the puzzle master. If it were your challenge to assemble the 2026 team under the constraint of “reasonable spending”, what would you choose?
1. Sign a no-kidding ace to work with the upcoming young prospects or sign a few middle-rotation pitchers to increase depth against the threat of injury?
2. Sign one of last year’s highest performers (e.g. Schwarber) or bet on extending and improving from within (e.g. Alonso, Vientos, Baty)
3. Tweak the existing roster with some veteran clubhouse glue or significantly shift the roster towards youth by trading away some solid but declining veterans (e.g. Nimmo, Peterson) and going all-in on our top prospects?
16 comments:
Paul, let’s answer the easiest question first: no to Schwarber. If you are looking to build something, you need to start with a strong foundation. Signing a 34 year old DH to long term is not “strong foundation”. As much as Alonso has frustrated us and as much as I think his best days are behind him, I’d try him first on a two to three year offer. As we know, he will be offended and we will lose that bat, but if you get a righty bat to balance the lineup, he doesn’t need to play first base.
Then, I’ll move to question #3: I would like to sign Salvatore Perez to be the righty DH. At 36 years old, I don’t know if he wants to catch, but I’m sure he does. Still, he can be a mentor to the catchers, a glue in the clubhouse, and the type of all embracing leader Alonso never even considered being.
Now the hard one: signing pitchers is always a risk. Look at the Dodgers who have seven aces and many of them were hurt this year, but they were healthy in the playoffs. I’d pass on the ace unless he is exceptional and young (Skubal, Yamamoto, Greene) and sign some solid arms.
I would, however, bring an older ace in, horse still truly in ace. And that person is Jacob deGrom. With two years left on his deal in Texas in a rebuild he may be open to it. He’s still in ace he is older and can teach, but there are people who don’t want that. But for two years, Texas would take very little back and the Mets would have a smaller risk.
I want Hunter Greene and as far as LA goes how do you compete with their "money is no object " policy as I saw they want Tucker hey why not. I'm sure Skubal is next.
This is perfect segment
What I have been waiting for is that acquire bad contracts and get the PREMIER talent along with it
And not give up much in return
I don’t think we did that well with the cano deal but here’s mine
Yelick (3 years left at like 26 left on his contract I believe)
Peralta AND Jackson Churios
I send back benge and either wennenger or sproat (whoever sterns deems the the lesser)
If we lose Benge but get a premier RH CF that is cost controlled
And we get the Ace
I don’t feel I have to give more if we are eating the 75 million left on the contract
Great article! The House of Angry Mike -> stands with the Baby Mets! Give them a year, then Holmes opts-out, we can clear another $40 mill by 2028 winter when there are several big FA available if youth movement fails.
There are no free agents that the Mets can sign on contracts that won't age rapidly. Can you trade for Skubal? sure but at what cost for now and the future?. What if he walks away after 2026 season?.
For me the Mets should get a couple of proven arms for the BP, maybe add a #3 starter and call it a day.
Let Pete walk, Vientos 1b/DH, Baty 1B/2B, Mauricio 3B, McNeil 2B/CF. Taylor CF until Benge is ready.
As bad as the Mets were in 2025 and with all the injuries to key players, they still missed a WC spot by one game. Lets not go crazy trading our best prospects for a temporary or expensive fix. 2027 will be the start of a improved and young core that can play together for the next six, seven years. Lets wait for the speed demons in the minors.
Go with the kids. I kid you not.
I am in the house of developing and promoting the prospects. I would not sign any free agents to multi-year contracts unless they are younger than 30. I would not clean out the minors to trade for that golden player. (It does take 26 last I looked).
1st - leaning towards Naylor.
2nd - McNeil until Williams is ready
3rd - think Baty was just about there in 2025. New coaching, there in 2026+
SS - Lindor, enough said
RF - Nimmo
LF - Soto
CF - Sign a platoon for Taylor until Benge, Morabito, Ewing is ready
DH - I do not believe in a designated DH. I would like to see a batter than can play the outfield and 1st. However, I would pencil in Vientos for 2026. If the coaching can make him close to 2024 again, ...
By OD 2027, I would like to see the likes of Benge, Williams, Reimer and Ewing/Morabito.
Read an article (cannot remember the source) stating that the Mets have set themselves up for the next 10 years with their minor league pitching. The Mets have Senga, Holmes, Manaea Holmes signed and control Peterson for 2026. Plus McLean, Tong, Sprout and the likes of Scott, Wenninger, and so on. I would not do that trade with Detroit. If I found it necessary, I would wait to Free agency.
The major work would have to be done in the bullpen. I believe a team needs a number of arms to get through a full season. Starters are capped at 100 pitches resulting in most having a hard time to get through 5 innings, much less 6 innings. Plus. I believe the play-offs are won with your bullpen. Start by signing Diaz and Rogers.
Viper and Steve, I am with you on letting the kids develop, but I have to ask:
1. How do we know they will? Are we spending valuable time and resources betting on them?
2. What about all the high priced players on the team already? Do we possibly punt this year if things don’t work out?
3. Can we navigate the season starting with veterans, but stoop being stubborn as to cutting the guys that aren’t getting the job done (Mullins) or waiting to promote young talent (McLean and Sprout) in order to save their eligibility in irder to maybe have them win rookie of the year and gains draft pick?
No one is sure to be what you hope to be. Prospects do not develop as we hope. Wasn't there an article here not too long ago about all the players the Mets brought in that flopped as soon as they landed? (Then blossomed when they landed elsewhere?).
From a roster construction standpoint, I am not a fan of most free agents. In most cases, I believe you a paying for the last of their prime years at best and all of their decline years.
I believe a team needs to a balance of young players supporting the veterans. In my rose-colored glasses I see a new position player stepping up every year and a new top of the rotation pitcher every other year.
I guess I am suggesting a type of punt in 2026 while positioning the team for the longer haul.
I think Mullins is a bad example because I believe that trade was a Ruf trade. (pun intended). But to your point, I agree that there should be a willingness to cut as necessary and promote as necessary. (But I am excited that McLean fell less than an inning short to retain his rookie status for 2026. Loved to have him be ROY as to be an exclamation point on Mets' pitcher development as opposed to the draft pick gain)
Well, that’s the balance with McLean. Stearns held him back so we have this opportunity next year, but because of that, the rotation suffered and they missed the playoffs by a game. To me, McLean and Sprout should have been up in July and August, instead of August and September. I’d rather they made the playoffs rather than chasing a draft pick.
Like the idea of DeGrom since it shouldn’t cost that much. Skubal or Skenes are the only 2 i’d trade for but here’s the guidelines.
Would not Trande Mclane, Tong, or Benge. Anyone else is fair game. If is Skubal we need to extend him as part of the trade. 400 million if needed but we need to do it. Not giving that propsect capital away for a rental.
Great set of inputs. You all get promoted to assistant GM. The idea of bringing Salvador Perez in as a DH was really interesting. He could come full circle from thwarting the Mets in the 2015 world series to helping them win the next one! Hunter Greene looked awesome against the Mets in that Cincy series in September, but he is young too so would not be the mentor to all the prospects. I don't see Holmes or Senga or Peterson in the mentor role. Maybe deGrom becomes de Pitching Coach!
Texas,
Like I said on my post, the Mets missed the playoffs by one game with no BP and mostly no rotation. 2026 will have McLean all year, Holmes arm will be more in shape for the rigors of being a starter. Peterson was the ace for the first half so if he can avoid repeating the 2nd half, he will be just fine. Can Manaea and Senga put things together again?. If not, Tong should be ready by mid-season and lets not forget about Scott who is coming back from TJS.
No player is a sure thing but no team can afford to just sign expensive veterans and survive. All players were prospects at one point.
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