The New York Mets need a reset after their disappointing 2025 season. They have already cleared out the coaching staff and now they need to look at their lineup. Bringing in a veteran third baseman with playoff experience like Alex Bregman gives them the lineup reset the Mets need, CBS’s Mike Axisa argues.
The player today
Bregman just opted out after a one-year Boston cameo and posted a 2025 line around what front offices pay for:.273/.360/.462 with 18 HR in 114 games (age-31 season). He’s a free agent again at 32 on Opening Day 2026. Under the hood, the quality is still there. In 2025, Statcast shows 90.1 mph average EV, 44.4% hard-hit rate,.356 wOBA/.345 xwOBA — contact quality that traveled fine to Fenway and should age into the mid-30s if the swing decisions hold.
October résumé
Bregman’s playoff track record remains a selling point, even with the taint of the Houston Astros’ cheating scandal. In 102 postseason games, Bregman has hit 19 home runs and has a career.791 OPS. That’s big-stage reps for a team that talks big about playing deep.
Why it fits the Mets
Third base was unsettled for the Mets this season. Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio provided below-average production. By midseason, that trio’s combined OPS hovered around.670. Even if you trust Baty’s development path, Bregman raises the floor and lengthens the lineup behind Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor.
The money (and the Cohen factor)
Jim Bowden has floated six years for $182 million and ESPN’s board shows five for $160 million. The Mets’ 2026 commitments sit roughly $223M–$234M, depending on source/method, leaving room under a $244M CBT line before add-ons. Steve Cohen remains, by any framing, MLB’s richest owner, and if the baseball fit is right, the check won’t be the obstacle.
Counterpoints
The primary concerns with Bregman primarily stem from durability, defense, and long-term payroll balance. He missed time in 2025 due to minor soft-tissue issues, and any multi-year deal would likely pay him through his mid-to-late 30s. Defensively, he remains solid at third base. Baseball Savant still rated him above average in 2025, but his glove alone doesn’t justify a big contract. If Pete Alonso departs after exercising his player option in 2026, the Mets have to decide whether they want another expensive infield cornerstone already locked in.
Bottom line
Bregman solves a Mets problem cleanly. He provides them with on-base consistency, selective power, and October experience, and he fits alongside Soto/Lindor without reengineering the infield. With Cohen’s resources and a third-base need that keeps resurfacing, this is one of the winter’s most believable New York flips.