Reese Kaplan -- Looking Ahead to Faces Who May or May Not Return

So who has a roster spot pretty much guaranteed during 2027 after the embarrassment of 2026?

• Francisco Lindor is indeed an All Star caliber player who had a horrendous year due to injury and recovery.  His contract is too long and too costly to make it easy to move him elsewhere. 
• Bo Bichette late in the year has started to show Mets fans what kind of player he really is.  The batting average is still low but has been climbing steadily the past few months.  No one is going to pay him more or for a longer period of time based upon his 2026 production so expect him back.
• Francisco Alvarez is starting to show much more productivity with the bat though his defense is still a work in progress.  Given his age and low salary he is your catcher for 2027 again.
• Juan Soto is the cornerstone.  He’s not going anywhere.
• A.J. Ewing is slowly turning himself into a very productive regular with his bat, his legs and his glove.  Given his minimum wage salary he will be back for sure.
• Carson Benge started off horribly but quietly is building himself into a candidate for Rookie of the Year recognition.  He is also a low cost solution for right field and one of David Stearns’ rare good transactions. 
• Luis Torrens is a prototypical backup catcher.  The bat is never going to be of starting quality but the defense is very much for real and gives Alvarez the opportunity to get a rest for his body by starting for him or allowing him to play at DH.
• Jared Young is a mystery.  A 30 year old AAAA player was out of injury necessity pushed into a starting role and he quietly put together a very capable year.  No one is looking forward to him as the starting first baseman next season but he certainly played himself onto the 2027 roster.
• Jorge Polanco was a terrific hitter earlier in his career when healthy.  This year injuries turned him into the new version of Jed Lowrie.  No one will take that high price tag after what little he has done so he will be back.
• Zac Thornton has had ups and downs during his minor league career but in the majors he’s been better than average most of the time.  Low cost and a lack of starting pitching suggests he is getting the ball every 5th day.
• Nolan McLean has had some stellar games a few stinkers but as he works himself back into the dominant level of hurler he has shown in the past he’s most definitely part of the 2027 rotation.
• Christian Scott can throw hard and sometimes looks formidable but other times he serves up gopher balls.  He is still in his first year back from a significant injury and the hope is that the good days will far outweigh the bad ones. 

Who is on the likely but not guaranteed list?

• Marcus Semien cannot justify what he did at the plate in 2026.  Oddly, he also did not look like a former gold glover.  The problem is he’s under contract for both 2027 and 2028, so moving him would require taking on another problem contract or a major pay down of his salary.
• Nate Lavender has not been around long enough to dictate his role in 2027 but what little we’ve seen of him suggests that a team without southpaws A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley should make room for a new lefty reliever.
• Sean Manaea has been better of late than he was earlier in the year.  It’s entirely possible with a hot second half of August and a strong September he could get his ERA below 4.00.  That’s likely still not worth $25 million but he’s under contract for next year as well.
• Dedniel Nunez is showing rust and while he’ll have a line on the 2027 bullpen list, nothing is guaranteed.
• Devin Williams may have had a poor 2025 and 2026 due to the shoulder injury he’s now experiencing.  He’s on a multiyear deal at a relatively high level so you would expect him back again.
• Kodai Senga now has the opportunity to reinvent himself as a closer in place of Williams.  If he succeeds then it opens up trade possibilities for either he or Williams.  He could also become the 8th inning guy in the mold of a David Robertson. 
• Reed Garrett has missed some of 2025 and all of 2026.  When he was good he was indeed valuable in the pen.  He’s on the likely list for next season but his health will dictate how soon he could return.
• Tylor Megill is another pitcher out with injury for the 2026 season.  His future is less likely than some of the others but he’s a known commodity who has worked both as a starter and reliever suggests that his future could be in long relief.

Who is likely looking for employment elsewhere?

• Luis Robert should be non-tendered.  Pay the buyout and move on. 
• Brett Baty has had several years while fans, the front office and the media have waited for him to put it all together.  It still hasn’t happened and a sub .220 hitter should not be written on a roster in ink.
• Mark Vientos is in pretty much the same situation as Baty without the defensive versatility.  Missing a large chunk of 2026 due to injury both prevented him from tanking games with his bat and glove while simultaneously removing the possibility of him finally showing for a second time that he could be quality bat. 

There are others in the pen and on the bench now due to trades and injuries who will likely not be back.