Reese Kaplan -- Please Make Changes Before 2027 Season Begins!

If the 2027 season started today the Mets would be fielding approximately the same last place ballclub that’s wasted Steve Cohen’s money and embarrassed baseball aficionados for all of the 2026 season.  Obviously some changes will happen out of contractual obligation.  Others need to be made to offer up higher levels of performance.  Right now there are many holes to fill.

1st Base

It’s been a black hole all year.  Jorge Polanco injured himself out of the position.  Mark Vientos played unevenly and also injured himself out of it.  Eric Wagaman is already gone but AAAA fill-in Jared Young has turned himself into manager Andy Green’s daily first choice to fill this gap.  Ryan Clifford is nowhere near ready to ascend to the majors so it would seem the obvious choices are the originally intended Polanco experiment or bringing in someone from the outside.

2nd Base

There’s no polite way to put it.  Marcus Semien was a great baseball player and is still an ultimate professional.  His bat skills have deteriorated rapidly and these days people would almost rather see Luis Robert in the lineup in center field with A.J. Ewing shifting to second base rather than enduring more of what has not worked all year.  There’s no one in the minor clamoring for promotion so outside help may be needed here as well.

Shortstop

Expect Francisco Lindor to be back again regardless of his relationship with Juan Soto.  His remaining contract numbers are too expensive for what he provided offensively in 2026 to get any kind of fair value.  With no real answers nearby in the upper minors the Mets would also need to look outside the organization if they felt moving Lindor was something they had to do.

3rd Base

This one is very, very interesting.  After a horrific start Bo Bichette started hitting much more like the kind of player the team felt they were getting when he was signed.  In fact, ironically he is hitting for a higher average, more home runs and more RBIs than free agent rejectee Kyle Tucker.  The problem is that his renewal is at the same $42.5 million per year and he needs to decide if he’s going to opt out to try to secure a longer deal but he would run the risk that another club would determine he’s worth that kind of coin.  If he departs then the Mets are back to the drawing board unless they feel that tried and failed options like Brett Baty, Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio are indeed reasonable replacements.

Catcher

Here’s one position where the Mets are actually not sitting with their backs up against the wall while the trade deadline approaches.  Francisco Alvarez is beginning to show his home run power while also upping his batting average higher than it’s been since joining the major leagues.  Luis Torrens is a sensational defensive player but has the kind of bat that gets exposed the more he plays.  Still, the combination works and together they earn very little.

Left Field

Right now Juan Soto owns left field though many would suggest in the long term he’s better off as a DH.  His defensive skills are passable on good days and questionable on others.  Still, given the size of his deal and the power of his offensive game he’s likely there to be manning that position until his health or the front office considers offense the only part of his game they want and he makes the shift to hitting only.

Center Field

Many were unsure what to expect when injuries forced A.J. Ewing up to the majors.  Everyone knew he could steal bases and had good contact skills but no one was sure how he would manage defensively nor whether he was ready to face the best of the best pitchers.  Thus far he looks very much like the real deal and at minimum wage he has to make the accountant types on the Mets very happy.  Therein lies the necessity to take whatever bag of balls you can get for a somewhat recently rejuvenated injury risk named Luis Robert.  Let someone else pay his salary and live with less power but more speed from Ewing.

Right Field

Here’s one player about whom the POBO actually did something right.  After drafting him and advocating he give up his two-way talent to focus on hitting, the slow starting Benge has become a solid player and things should continue to progress as he gets more experience.  He’s now showing off an arm that could prove to be a good run prevention weapon.  He’s also at minimum wage.

The Bench

Wow, what backup players have the Mets used during 2026 that have contributed much of anything?  You can make a case for some who assumed extended starting roles out of necessity, but for the most part it’s been a roller coaster ride with a lot more downs than ups.  Major improvement is needed here.

Starting Pitching

Assuming free agents like Freddy Peralta leave and that opt-out candidate Clay Holmes may want to explore a long term deal that the Mets have not yet offered him, that then leaves the 2027 rotation with Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zac Thornton, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea.  Yes, improvement is most definitely needed here as well.

Relief Pitching

Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are free agents.  No one is sure about Luke Weaver.  Devin Williams is on a multiyear deal so he’s likely coming back.  Huascar Brazoban could be retained and you have players like Dedniel Nunez and Reed Garrett due back from injuries.  Oh yeah, so is Tylor Megill.  Help is needed here, too.