After winning last winter by signing top free-agent Juan Soto, the New York Mets finished 2025 at just 83–79. Not only was that a step back from their expectations it was the breaking point for owner Steve Cohen after he spent $765 million stealing the slugger from the Yankees. It led to a staff shakeup and concerns.
This core remains talented enough to win, but the roster cracks that widened as injuries piled up can’t be ignored. If the Mets want to take a real leap forward in 2026, the Winter Meetings must deliver stability, power, and a better game-closing structure.
1. Add a frontline starter to stabilize the rotation
The Mets opened last season with one of baseball’s best staffs and then watched injuries flip the script. Depth was strained, velocity dipped, and the group struggled to keep the ball in the yard late in the year. The goal now is to add a durable, top-of-the-rotation starter who can sit above a healthier Kodai Senga. Without that presence, the Mets are one setback away from repeating 2025.
2. Rebuild the late-inning trust.
GM David Stearns obviously has trust in Devin Williams, whom he had in Milwaukee, but signing him is an interesting place to start. Williams struggled in the Bronx last season and there is concern about his ability to handle New York. If the Mets are planning on using Williams as a set-up man and re-signing Edwin Diaz, then they have a great start on this front. If not, they'd better figure out a contingency plan. A high-leverage reliever — ideally someone with real strikeout punch — has to be high on the Meetings agenda. Pairing a late-inning weapon with improved rotation length would immediately change the game-flow math.
3. Balance the lineup with reliable bats.
For the second straight year, the Mets watched Pete Alonso walk away. Last year, they finally lured him back. This time it will be costlier. He seems like the perfect fit, but he would also look good banging balls off the Green Monster in Boston. There’s still real star power in Queens, but the lineup ran too hot-and-cold and leaned heavily on its biggest names. With some corner-bat questions lingering and bench production inconsistent, the Mets need one or two hitters who can lengthen the order and give this offense some nightly stability. A veteran bat who knows how to grind an at-bat would go a long way. They've been linked to Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker.
The Mets don’t require a teardown, but there is a lot of work to do. One starter who stops losing streaks, one reliever who finishes wins, and a little more lineup support could push this team out of the middle and back into the postseason.
