Five Wishlist Items For The Mets This Winter

Hot stove season is here and the New York Mets are expected to be major players across the board. Boasting a ton of financial flexibility, coupled with a plethora of needs that will have to be addressed, the Mets should be incredibly active in free agency. It also expected that the Mets will be all in on some of the biggest names available this winter, including superstar free agent Juan Soto. As such, the coming weeks could act as a true game-changer for this franchise and its World Series aspirations.

So, with all that in mind, let’s take a look at the biggest needs the Mets have this offseason, ranking them in order of most importance.

1. Starting Pitching

As we enter the offseason, there are a bevy of question marks surrounding the starting rotation for the 2025 season. Both Sean Manaea and Luis Severino are free agents after rejecting their qualifying offers. Jose Quintana is also hitting the open market. Kodai Senga was unable to stay healthy in 2024, And, as good as he was last year, David Peterson isn’t a top-of-the-rotation arm.

Therefore, the Mets have some vacancies to fill in their rotation. And, as the old adage goes, you can’t win in baseball without good starting pitching. As such, the front office need to aggressively pursue at least two top of the market arms. Corbin Burnes would be the obvious candidate, but he will likely command a long-term contract. That could be risky for a pitcher who is 30-years-old. Another great top market option would be Blake Snell, who might be available on a shorter-term deal based off how he handled free agency previously.

Looking outside of free agency, the Mets could look to trade for a young stud like White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. The left-handed pitcher posted a 3.58 ERA with 200 strikeouts in 146 innings in 2024; his first full season as a starter in the bigs. Crochet is a stud on the mound, one who will make just $3 million in 2025 through arbitration. He’s under team control through the 2026 season. Plus, Crochet has indicated that he would be willing to sign a long-term contract with a new team. However, the White Sox are looking for position prospects in return and it remains to be seen if the Mets would be willing to give up high-ranking members of their farm system.

Either way, the fact remains that the Mets need to add two or three impact arms to their starting rotation this winter. Given how crucial pitching is, coupled with the holes in that rotation, going out and signing frontend starters should be the main priority for New York.

2. Bring Back Sean Manaea

Okay, so this is still related to starting pitching. But, given how important he was last year for the Mets, he deserves his own section. The veteran authored a fine comeback year in Queens in 2024, emerging as the team’s best and most reliable starter. He went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA to go along with 184 strikeouts across 181 2/3 innings. As a result, Manaea finished 11th in Cy Young voting. Having predictably turned down his option, Manaea is now a free agent and will no doubt have offers.

However, given the current state of the rotation, the Mets need to do all they can to bring back Manaea on a multi-year deal. Paul Blackburn, Tylor Megill, and even Kodai Senga are all question marks at this point. David Peterson was lights out in 2024, but he’s more of a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Manaea would automatically become the team’s second or third starter, depending on who else the Mets go after in free agency. A top two of either Corbin Burnes/Blake Snell and Manaea would be a clear upgrade on what the Mets had at the top of the rotation last year. Manaea proved in 2024 that he can be a reliable frontend arm, and he’s earned the right to pitch in Queens for the next few years.

3. Juan Soto

This is an obvious one. You can read a deep dive on the prized free agent here. And it is true. If this team wants to take the next giant leap to true contender status in 2025, getting Soto on the roster would help make that goal a heck of a lot more attainable. The 26-year-old is a true generational hitter and he would give the Mets a legit  star to pair with Francisco Lindor.

Soto would become the Mets’ version of Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. He is the modern-day version of Ted Williams, and is in the prime of his career. By shelling out the mega-bucks on a marquee box office star like Soto, New York would be making it clear it intends to compete for multiple World Series titles over the next decade-plus.

The time is now for this franchise to sign their own superstar. Soto ticks all the boxes, and his arrival in Queens would be a true game-changer for this organization on and off the field.

4. The Corner Infield Spots

Do the Mets keep Pete Alonso? Or does the slugger opt to go elsewhere? That’s one of the most pressing questions facing the Mets’ front office this winter. The answer to that question will also have a slew of ramifications on everything else the team decides to do this offseason.

For instance, if Alonso does return, then the Mets will stand pat at the corner infield spots heading into the 2025 season. However, if Alonso opts to sign elsewhere, Mark Vientos would seemingly shift over to first base. That would open up a spot at third base. Could the front office afford to sign Juan Soto, two-to-three starters and Alex Bregman to be their new third baseman? Or would a trade for Nolan Arenado be the better option? The Cardinals are thought to be willing to move Arenado, who is an absolutely defensive wizard at the hot corner.

There is no doubt that the Mets would be a better team defensively with Arenado at third. And, although he had a down year offensively last season, he still hit 26 home runs and 26 doubles as recently as the 2023 season. Granted, most Mets fans would love to see Alonso back in a Mets uniform next year and beyond. But, given that the four-time All-Star doesn’t really offer a whole lot outside of power and home runs, the front office may decide to move on in order to strengthen other areas of the team.

No matter how you slice it, though, the Mets have a major decision to make when it comes to Alonso. His return, or non-return, will impact how this roster looks in 2025 in a big way.

5. Add Depth

One of the biggest differences between the Mets and the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series was lineup depth. L.A. boasted a longer and more dangerous lineup, advancing as a result. The Mets certainly need to lengthen their lineup this offseason. However, the overall lack of depth across the entire roster needs addressing. Urgently.

Firstly, the outfield needs bolstering. As it stands, Brandon Nimmo is the only everyday player. Starling Marte hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past couple of years, and he isn’t exactly getting any younger, either. Tyrone Taylor had a terrific year in a fourth outfielder role, but is not exactly an everyday player. However, the recent addition of Jose Siri from the Rays, does give the Mets an elite defensive tandem out in center field. Of course, landing Juan Soto would obviously solve the everyday problem in right field, giving New York elite quality and depth in the outfield.

Secondly, this team will need more impact bats. Even if Soto signs, the Mets could do with a big bat to pair for either the designated hitter spot, if Pete Alonso doesn’t return, or at the other corner infield spot. They will also need to figure out the bottom of the lineup given that both Jose Iglesias and Jesse Winker are free agents. Furthermore, the starting rotation needs filling out, as already mentioned, and the bullpen is in need of some high-leverage arms to slot in behind Edwin Díaz.

If the Mets want to compete in 2025, they will need to sign some high-value players in order to fill out the roster in addition to going big-fish hunting for the likes of Juan Soto.

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