The Mets were unquestionably the most disappointing team in MLB last year. After retooling their roster with some big offseason additions and entering the season with the league’s highest payroll, New York limped to a last-place finish in the NL East and won just 74 games, its fewest in a full season since 2017.

The team will look to put last season’s woeful performance in the rearview mirror and get back on track, but there are some areas that desperately need to be addressed during the offseason, and the front office will need to be cognizant of spending their money more wisely than they did a year ago.

The priorities this offseason will be acquiring a frontline starting pitcher to pair with Nolan McLean in a rotation that doesn’t boast much upside. In fact, it’s likely the Mets will be in the market for multiple starters this offseason, and they could look to free agency or the trade market to replenish their staff. Additionally, the bullpen is extremely shallow as a result of last season’s fire sale at the trade deadline, so they’ll likely look to add multiple relievers to the mix, too.

As for position players, first base stands out as the most glaring need for New York. After signing Jorge Polanco to a two-year deal last offseason, injuries sidelined him for the most of the year, and he was highly unproductive when healthy. Jared Young impressed in Polanco’s absence, but it’s possible the team views him as more of a platoon option than an everyday starter at the position. Adding a first baseman to the roster would be a wise move to add some depth and experience to a position that lacked both this year.

Starting pitching

First, let’s explore the pitching options for New York this offseason. The Mets are one of a handful of teams that could realistically give Tarik Skubal the contract he’s seeking in free agency. The Boras client will likely be seeking a deal that would pay him upwards of $40 to $45 million per season, and if owner Steve Cohen is willing to open his wallet, the Mets should certainly be in play for the two-time Cy Young winner.

Skubal would be a great addition for the Mets, but they’d still need to go after other starters to bolster their rotation beyond him. Skubal and McLean would be an excellent one-two punch, but filling out the remaining three spots with internal options like Christian Scott, Sean Manaea, Zac Thornton and Kodai Senga may not be ideal. Both Scott and Thornton showed promise this year, so they should be options to open the season as starters, but Senga and Manaea both struggled.

As such, the Mets should be looking to add another experienced starter to the mix, one who could fortify the back end of the rotation. There are several veterans that would make sense to fill that role. Tyler Mahle just enjoyed an excellent second half of the season with the Braves, and he’d be a quality addition as New York’s No. 3 starter. Alternatively, the Mets could look at a bounce-back candidate like Zac Gallen, Brady Singer or Brandon Woodruff to help round out their rotation.

If the Mets don’t wind up with Skubal, however, they’d be at the forefront of the markets for some of the other top arms in free agency. Trevor Rogers, Casey Mize, Michael King, Nick Pivetta or Shota Imanaga could be potential targets if Skubal signs elsewhere.

Let’s look at two mock rotations that the Mets could potentially enter the ‘27 season with, depending upon how free agency plays out with some of the biggest arms on the market.

1. LHP Tarik Skubal
2. RHP Nolan McLean
3. RHP Brandon Woodruff
4. LHP Zac Thornton
5. RHP Christian Scott

1. RHP Nolan McLean
2. LHP Trevor Rogers
3. RHP Nick Pivetta
4. LHP Zac Thornton
5. RHP Christian Scott

Both potential rotations represent significant upgrades over the organization’s current options, and for a free-spending team like the Mets, neither one seems financially unattainable.

Bullpen additions

As for the bullpen, New York offloaded a handful of relievers at the deadline last year, including Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban and A.J. Minter, leaving their current group of late-inning options fairly shallow.

With Devin Williams locked in for a couple more seasons, the Mets will be looking to add some high leverage relievers who can step in as setup men, or potentially challenge Williams for the closer role. If Adrian Morejon doesn’t accept his qualifying offer from the Padres, he’d be a great fit for the Mets, though he’ll be demanding a significant contract. The Mets could also look to acquire Sean Newcomb or Steven Okert as a less expensive left-handed option. As for righthanders, Bryan Abreu, Shawn Armstrong and Raisel Iglesias would all make sense as experienced relievers that New York could pursue.

Another avenue that could be explored by the Mets is a trade for a reliever. There’s some speculation that the Brewers could be looking to trade Trevor Megill, who’s entering the final year of his contract, and the Mets could be a strong fit for him as they aim to shore up their bullpen. A late-innings tandem of Williams and Megill could prove quite formidable. The two were teammates in Milwaukee as recently as 2024, so it’s possible they could reunite in Queens.

Shoring up first base

Polanco may well be an option for the Mets at first base this season, but if last year’s performance was any indication of what he’ll provide this year, the team should be exploring other candidates to step in.

Ty France, who is set to hit free agency after a great season with the Padres, could take the reins at first base. France is an excellent defensive first baseman and is a strong hitter against both lefties and righties, though he doesn’t provide as much power as prototypical corner infielders—his 21 homers this year were a career high. Polanco was initially acquired to play first base for the Mets, but that’s a position he’d never played before. Getting France would provide some stability to an infield that struggled defensively this year, and would open up the DH spot for Polanco, which could give him a better shot at staying healthy next season.

Alternatively, the Mets could look to find a first baseman on the trade market. Vinnie Pasquantino has been floated as a potential fit for New York. He’s under contract through the 2028 season, but the Royals could be looking to open up an everyday spot in the infield for Jac Caglianone, which could open the door for a potential exit for Pasquantino. He just had a down year while dealing with a hamate injury, but he hit 32 home runs with 113 RBIs in ‘25 and has never posted an OPS below .760.

While Pasquantino would be a flashy addition, he wouldn’t alleviate the Mets’ issues against left-handed pitching. The 29-year-old is a lefty himself and owns a .661 OPS for his career against southpaws (.820 vs. RHP). If New York would prefer to acquire a right-handed hitter to take over at first base, they may target someone like Jake Burger, who is coming off a strong year in which he hit 28 home runs and had a career-high 90 RBIs. Burger would cost less than Pasquantino and is right around league average defensively at first base. He could be utilized in a platoon alongside Young and potentially step in as the DH, too, giving New York a bit more flexibility.

One final option I’ll float for first base is Spencer Steer. The 28-year-old is flexible defensively, capable of playing multiple positions in both the infield and outfield. He’s hit 80 home runs over the last four seasons and owns a .748 career OPS. Steer excels against left-handed pitching, so he’d be a great fit to split time at first base with Young, and could also serve as the utility man to help balance out New York’s defense. He would likely come at a cheaper cost than both Burger and Pasquantino.