No matter how optimistic you pretend to be, the reality is that the 2026 Mets are even worse than were the 2025 edition and once again major changes to the roster are going to be necessary. Bad health is something you can’t necessarily predict nor manage effectively, but making payroll decisions and effectiveness evaluations can most certainly be done.
1B continues to be a black hole. Some folks are ecstatic over the totally unexpected productivity out of newly healed Jared Young. Bear in mind that the 30 year old is a career .235 hitter whose last somewhat impressive output was in AAA for the Cubs in 2023 when he hit 21 HRs, drove in 72 and batted .310. He does have ability but not at the level the club had received from current Oriole Pete Alonso.
Then there is the 2026 solution, Jorge Polanco. We never got to see enough of him on the field to determine whether or not he could convert to a first baseman after being an infielder at other positions for the rest of his career. He also did not demonstrate the hitting ability for which he was signed for 2 years and $40 million. The injuries could certainly have had a negative impact, but now that he’s hurt yet again it is difficult to conclude. Expect him back for 2027 either at 1B or DH given the money at stake.
Mark Vientos is another variable in this equation but after a brief couple of weeks when it appeared as if he was putting things together offensively he’s fallen off the bat swinging cliff while also providing purely Little League level of comical defense. After multiple years of not getting it done after one promising one he’s pretty much played himself out of a job entirely.
Ryan Clifford is another enigma for the Mets to consider for the future. Yes, he does have respectable power, but his inability to cut down on his massive strikeout numbers and his batting average closer to .200 than to .250 makes you wonder if he’s simply not an answer at all. Perhaps if you consider him a latter day version of Dave Kingman, an all-or-nothing hitter who except for his one decent year in Chicago never appeared to be a middle of the order hitter.
Do the Mets go outside once again? If so, the upcoming free agent pool is fairly thin if the players with options do not make it to open bidding. Yandy Diaz is certainly the best of the lot given his career .292 average, but he has a vesting option which would take him off the table and is also going to be age 35. Carlos Santana and Josh Bell have mutual options which means both could or could not be available. That leaves Ryan Mountcastle, Andrew Vaughn, Paul Goldschmidt and Christopher Morel.
Of this group Diaz is really the only one to open a good POBO’s eyes but more for batting average than anythijng else. Mountcastle is younger and lost his job already to Pete Alonso. Andrew Vaughn is less appealing than the first two. Christpher Morel is another Mark Vientos. Paul Goldschmidt is going to be 39. Trades are possible, of course, but if the Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien model is indicative of what Stearns can do..well..
For now, it is most definitely unclear how the Mets can address the glaring hole left by the departed Polar Bear. The 2026 solution certainly didn’t work, nor did the other substitutes who have tried and failed.
11 comments:
I think if Nolan McLean had been drafted as a hitter, he would have more power than Clifford and similar whiff rates. Clifford’s Ks are super high. Kingman was a contact hitter by comparison.
I would trade Clifford to a team with a small stadium
Benge became a real thing last night. The future outfield is set
I wrote about that at 7:30 today - come back soon!
The Mets are either going to go outside for a "real" first baseman or find a resurgence in JT Schwartz. Schwartz plays the position defensively better than anyone in the system. He was a former batting champ in college, but somehow lost his swing in the Mets development system. Recently he has rediscovered it and has been surging. Let Young play first until the mid-season trade deadline and then assess what you have.
Nimmo for Simien. I look at it Nimmo for Benge.
Young > Vientos. I would just have Vientos as a starter vs. lefties. Brutal against righties this year. Simple. Sit down.
And a smaller strike zone.
I think the Mets got the better of the Nimmo/Semien trade in every respect and it did open up an outfield position or two if you include the McNeil trade. Frankly, the best overall 1B on the roster is probably Juan Soto were he ready to do the Harper. If he were, he could do it until he became to full time DH and occasional position player, 3 or 4 years from now when the Mets may have a replacement in Guzman or someone else. It would open a spot in left field, however, that we have no obvious solution for.
I don't like moving people around if it makes 2 positions available. I would welcome a genuinely competent fielder at the position and that may be JT. We shall see how he does over the course of the season. I had suggested Contreras and O'Hearn previously during the off season. It's a black hole for next year for sure.
I expect Bichette and Lindor to cover teh left side of the infield next year, but I think we need to worry about both 2B and 1B as Semien is likely to provide great leadership, good defense and a very uneven bat. It would be great if we could count on him for 20HRs and 250BA, but that is not something we should expect.
Young looks like the solution right now. Lets find out what he can do on an extended period. Baty can play 1B too once Lindor comes back. Vientos right now is nothing more than a DH/PH.
Hey don't knock the Kong he had 442 hrs and 1210 rbi we would take that now at DH
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