The New York Mets positioned themselves as baseball’s newest big spender when multi-billionaire Steve Cohen purchased the team in 2020, but they haven’t looked much like one so far this offseason.
While the Mets have brought in a starting second baseman in Marcus Semien and a potential closer in Devin Williams, they let free agents Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz, two tenured veterans, walk and traded fan favorite Brandon Nimmo in the deal for Semien.
The Mets likely aren’t done making moves. If they want to contend for a championship in 2026, they simply can’t be. With Alonso and Díaz off the books, there is money to spend. But where could it go?
Here’s a look at why Alonso and Díaz left, plus what comes next for the Mets.
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Why did Pete Alonso leave the Mets?
The Mets did not make an offer to Alonso, the New York Post's Joel Sherman reported, after realizing the offers he was receiving from other teams exceeded their comfort zone. Alonso ultimately agreed to a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.
According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the Mets were hesitant to go beyond three years to retain Alonso. While team president David Stearns hasn't yet spoken about Alonso's exit, the Mets' unwillingness to commit long-term to Alonso indicates their concerns about his baserunning and defense might exceed how much they value his power.
One-dimensional sluggers without defensive or baserunning value can struggle to get the contracts they want on the open market in this era. But after Kyle Schwarber received a five-year, $150 million deal to return to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday, it became clear that Alonso was positioned for a payday — one the Mets weren’t comfortable giving him.
MORE: Full details on Pete Alonso's contract with Orioles
Why did Edwin Diaz leave the Mets?
The Mets' most recent offer to Diaz was for three years and $66 million, just why of the three-year, $69 million pact he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets reportedly made the offer with wiggle room to go higher, but Diaz accepted the Dodgers' offer without checking back in.
According to the New York Post, Diaz was unhappy with the Mets' decision to fire pitching coach Jeremy Hefner after this past season and may have been influenced by his brother, who spent time in the Dodgers organization in 2025 and enjoyed the experience.
The Mets signed reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal in early December, setting the stage for a potential Diaz departure.
MORE: Dodgers bullpen projection with Edwin Diaz
Mets remaining free agent, trade targets
OF Cody Bellinger
Bellinger might be the best fit remaining on the board for the Mets after an impressive all-around season with the crosstown New York Yankees. With 30-home run potential, a solid glove in the outfield and experience at first base, Bellinger can give the Mets a quick power bat to plug into their lineup even if he won't hit home runs quite at the rate Alonso did.
OF Kyle Tucker
The Mets will likely have to be willing to make a long-term commitment to sign Kyle Tucker, but bringing in the best free agent on the board would be a way to quiet the noise and set the stage for a stronger 2026. Health is always a concern with Tucker, which makes the fit questionable after the Mets were unwilling to do a long-term deal with an ultra-durable Alonso. Still, Tucker is an MVP-caliber hitter when at his best.
SP Michael King
The Mets have been heavily connected to former San Diego Padres starter Michael King in reports this offseason, and the fit remains strong. King missed half of 2025 but returned late in the season and was excellent in 2024, flashing some of the nastiest stuff of any starter in baseball. King could be open to a short-term deal if the Mets aren't willing to shell out a long-term pact, but New York should be desperate enough to upgrade its rotation that anything is on the table.
1B/3B Kazuma Okamoto
Munetaka Murakami is the consensus top Japanese free agent available, but if the Mets had concerns about Alonso, it wouldn't make sense for them to bid heavily on Murakami given he comes with many of the same concerns. Kazuma Okamoto, a more well-rounded hitter, could make more sense as a potential Alonso replacement at first base. The 29-year-old doesn't rival Alonso in the power department, but he could still be a plus hitter for a handful of years at a cheaper cost.
Freddy Peralta
Reports have been all over the map regarding Freddy Peralta's availability, with some stating the Milwaukee Brewers have no plans to deal their ace and others making the case their plans to limit payroll put a deal on the table. As Peralta enters the final year of his contract, nothing should be ruled out. If the Mets are willing to part with some young talent, they could be able to pry Peralta and his highly-affordable salary away from the Brewers after a season in which he emerged as one of the NL's top starters.
Tarik Skubal
Then, there is the wild card of all wild cards. What better way to silence the criticism from fans than to go out and acquire a back-to-back Cy Young Award winner. Whether the Mets have what it takes to blow the Detroit Tigers away and convince them to make a move is another question, but the Mets have some financial flexibility and could signal their seriousness about contending in 2026 by bringing in one of baseball's elite starters.
MORE: Ranking the top 27 MLB free agents
Mets projected lineup
The Mets are almost certainly not done adding bats, but this is how their lineup could stack up if the season started today:
Lineup in position order, not batting order.
- C: Francisco Alvarez
- 1B: Mark Vientos
- 2B: Marcus Semien
- SS: Francisco Lindor
- 3B: Brett Baty
- RF: Juan Soto
- CF: Tyrone Taylor
- LF: Jeff McNeil
- DH: Ronny Mauricio
Centerfield is a potential spot to address after trading Brandon Nimmo, while the solution at first base isn't clear. Mark Vientos can play first base, but he's only made 12 starts at the position in his MLB career and split time between third base and designated hitter in 2025.
Mets payroll 2026
The Mets' payroll for 2026 is currently ranking $236.1 million, including estimated salaries for arbitration-eligible players, ranking second in baseball. New York's payroll for 2025 was $342 million, so the current mark is more than $100 million lower.
That figure will undoubtedly rise before the start of the season as the Mets sort out how to move forward after losing Alonso and Diaz, but New York has about $120 million tied up in Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien alone next season, with Soto making just under $62 million.