Photo Credit: chicagosuntimes.com
David Stearns and the Mets have had one of the most interesting offseasons in the team’s history.
Letting go of Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil has left most fans with a sour taste in their mouths.
They must’ve spent a lot of money on other free agents, right? Wrong.
Their acquisitions as of January 12 are Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, Marcus Semien, and Luke Weaver.
However, there’s good news in all of this, which is that there are still a plethora of free agents that the team could target to salvage the offseason.
Here are two targets for David Stearns and co. to strengthen this Mets squad before pitchers and catchers report in a month or so.
#1. OF Kyle Tucker
The fact that Kyle Tucker is still a free agent in mid-January is mind-boggling to me. This is a hitter that has consistently hovered around a .260 BA, 25 HR, 25 SB, 5 WAR and a .870 OPS since 2020.
Tucker has made five straight ASG appearances, received MVP votes three times, won two Silver Sluggers, and one Gold Glove in his career.
He could hit anywhere from first to fifth, play above average defense, and has exceptional metrics on his Baseball Savant page.
If the Mets can sign him, their lineup would receive a substantial upgrade in the top part of the order.
A lineup with Tucker would look something like this (no order):
C – Francisco Alvarez
1B – Jorge Polanco
2B – Marcus Semien
SS – Francisco Lindor
3B – Brett Baty
LF – Juan Soto
CF – Carson Benge/Tyrone Taylor
RF – Kyle Tucker
DH – Mark Vientos
With the addition of Tucker, it would give Juan Soto protection and add another 5 tool player that is in the middle of his prime.
Photo Credit: thephiladelphiainquirer.com
#2. Ranger Suarez
The Mets’ rotation was a massive issue in 2025, as there was no true ace due to injuries, ineffectiveness, and inconsistency.
Rookie Nolan McLean was a pleasant surprise, and David Peterson was great before his second-half collapse, but the rest of the rotation is filled with question marks.
What if 2024 was an outlier for Sean Manaea? What if Kodai Senga can’t stay healthy? What if Clay Holmes continues to struggle to pitch into the sixth inning in most starts?
This is where Ranger Suarez would come in.
Suarez is an innings eater that limits his opponents to very soft contact and a bunch of groundballs. He ranks sixth among all pitchers in WAR since 2021 (17.7), while recording a 3.33 ERA over the last two seasons.
In addition, his peripherals are mostly elite, which demonstrates that his stats are very sustainable in the long run.
Signing Suarez would strengthen the Mets’ rotation, as it could look something like this on Opening Day:
Ranger Suarez
Nolan McLean
Clay Holmes
Sean Manaea
Kodai Senga
Brandon Sproat
Add in the uncertainty surrounding the Tarik Skubal-Detroit Tigers situation, and this could be a massive bargain for David Stearns.
Acquiring both of these stars would give Mets fans some hope and a reason to watch the team next season.
You have four or five more weeks before spring training, David Stearns.
It is up to you to make it happen.
My name is John Pagnotta and I live in Queens, NY. I am a freshman at St. John’s University and I am majoring in journalism. I am a huge fan of the Jets, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I started following sports when I was around 7 years old and I have not lost love for it ever since!
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