News Mets Team Notes

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: Happy New Year!

Meet the Mets​

Happy New Year, dear Amazin’ Avenue readers! May 2026 hold more wins than losses.

Carlos Beltrán did not always have the best relationship with the Mets, but that has all changed in recent years, culminating in his induction in the Mets Hall of Fame.

The Mets’ trio of young pitchers are doing their best to block out trade rumors and instead focus on the upcoming season.

Former Mets prospect Jarred Kelenic signed a minor league contract with the White Sox after failing to find much success in the majors.

Around the National League East​

The Braves are reportedly interested in signing Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai.

The Marlins’ home has been turned into a hockey arena to host the Winter Classic between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers.

The Phillies have four players on this year’s Hall of Fame Ballot, and they could be deserving of the honor.

Around Major League Baseball​

The Giants signed righty Tyler Mahle to a one-year deal.

The Angels restructured third baseman Anthony Rendon’s contract to end his tenure in Los Angeles.

The Angels could be interested in acquiring Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals to replace Rendon at third.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Thomas Henderson reveiwed Luisangel Acuña and Tylor Megill’s seasons.

This Date in Mets History​

Happy birthday, Fernando Tatis!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-york-mets-morning-news/88919/mets-morning-news-happy-new-year

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Afternoon News: A Crosstown Battle for Bellinger?

Meet the Mets​

The Mets and Yankees are both focused on free agent Cody Bellinger, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra offered 26 prospect storylines to keep an eye on in 2026, and listed the Mets’ Nolan McLean as the favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year.

MLB.com’s Jared Greenspan and Theo DeRosa highlighted ten teams who have more work left to do ahead of the 2026 season, including the Mets.

Around Major League Baseball​

The Astros signed Japanese right-handed pitcher Tatsuya Imai to a three-year, $54 million deal. The contract will include an opt-out after each season, and marks the second-highest AAV for a Japanese pitcher coming to MLB.

MLB.com’s David Adler provided five MLB comparisons for the newly-signed Imai, likening his pitch sequencing to that of former Met Max Scherzer.

The Athletic’s Chandler Rome provided seven thoughts on Imai’s deal.

Kona Takahashi, another Japanese right-handed pitcher who was posted for MLB free agency this offseason, may return to NPB despite receiving at least one offer, per MLB.com’s Brian Murphy and Mark Feinsand.

MLB.com’s beat reporters made one prediction for each team during 2026.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Vasilis Drimalitis said farewell to the Mets’ former core, and turned the page toward a new era in 2026.

Steve Sypa kicked off Amazin’ Avenue’s Top 25 Mets Prospects list for 2026 with 21-year-old infielder Boston Baro.

This Date in Mets History​

David Cone, one of only six Mets pitchers to put together a 20-win season, was born on this date in 1963.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...news-tatsuya-imai-cody-bellinger-nolan-mclean

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: Mets still connected with Kyle Tucker

Meet the Mets​

While some Mets fans may have been disappointed to see Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai sign elsewhere, the team apparently was not overly high on him and thus did not make a serious pursuit.

On the other hand, the Mets are one of the teams that have checked in on free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Former Met and 1986 champion Lenny Dykstra is once again in legal trouble.

Around the National League East​

The Good Phight offered five reasons for Phillies fans to be optimistic heading into 2026 despite a relatively quiet offseason.

After designating him for assignment earlier in the week, the Marlins dealt Eric Wagaman to the Twins in exchange for minor league lefty pitcher Kade Bragg.

The Nationals’ contract with MASN expires in February, and when it does the team will likely move to join MLB’s production arm for local broadcasts.

Around Major League Baseball​

Now that the Astros have signed Imai, their next move might be a trade to clear some salary.

Kazuma Okamoto’s signing deadline is coming up, and a lot of teams remain in play for the Japanese infielder.

ESPN’s baseball writers offered some bold predictions for 2026.

A number of players are entering contract years and will thus be very interesting to watch in 2026.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince offered his early award predictions for the 2026 season.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Steve Sypa ranked Daiverson Gutierrez as Amazin’ Avenue’s 24th top prospect in the Mets farm system heading into 2026.

This Date in Mets History​

Bobby Bonilla was given his release from the Mets on this date in 2000.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...suya-imai-lenny-dykstra-baseball-new-york-mlb

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Daiverson Gutierrez (24)

Name: Daiverson Gutierrez

Position: C

Born: 09/11/2005 (Age 20 season in 2026)

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 205 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R/R

Acquired: IFA, January 15, 2023 (Caracas, Venezuela)

2025 Stats: 91 G, 327 AB, .242/.362/.309, 79 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 53 BB, 58 K, 6/10 SB, .279 BABIP (Single-A)

The Mets made Venezuelan catcher Daiverson Gutierrez their main priority once the 2023 international free agent signing period started and officially signed the backstop for $1.9 million dollars, roughly one-third of their $5.2 million dollar budget. Gutierrez was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the 2023 season and appeared in 50 games combined with the DSL Mets Blue and the DSL Mets Orange, hitting a cumulative .186/.321/.244 with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 2 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 22 walks to 36 strikeouts.

He started the 2024 season in the Dominican Summer League for a second year, this time with the DSL Mets Blue, but the results were like night and day thanks to mechanical changes made to his swing. Appearing in 14 games, the 18-year-old hit an impressive .300/.472/.475 with 7 doubles, 1 stolen base, and 7 walks to 5 strikeouts. He was sent stateside and assigned to the FCL Mets at the end of June and his time there was just as productive. In the span of roughly a month, from late June until late July, Gutierrez appeared in 15 games and hit .317/.463/.537 with 3 doubles and 2 home runs and drew 9 walks to 4 strikeouts.

Managing his workload, the Mets had the 18-year-old backstop sit for a while after the Florida Complex League season ended in late July but promoted him to Single-A St. Lucie at the end of August to give him a taste of full-season ball. Gutierrez was woefully underprepared thanks to his age and lack of organized competitive games and went 3-27 in 8 games with no extra base hits, no walks, and 9 strikeouts. The backstop was rostered with St. Lucie for the 2025 season and he spent the entirety of the season there. Appearing in 91 games, the 19-year-old hit .242/.362/.309 with 10 doubles, 4 home runs, 6 stolen bases in 10 attempts, and drew 53 walks to 58 strikeouts.

The Mets made major mechanical changes to Gutierrez’ swing in 2024. In 2023, he stood slightly open, with his hands held high and his bat wrapped behind his head almost perpendicular to the ground, crowding the plate. The organization had him open up a lot more, with his hands held high at eye level and his bat head angled at 1:30. Prior to the changes, he often planted his front foot down early, shifting his weight on his back foot during his swing. With his more exaggerated stance, Gutierrez is closing up his body while loading, making it easier to get his stride and front foot strike timing optimized. He still shifts his weight on his back foot during his swing with a scissor kick, but it is less pronounced and because of his more open stance, he has more plate coverage.

In 159 tracked batted ball events, Gutierrez recorded 12 balls put in play with exit velocities over 100 MPH and 36 with exit velocities over 95 MPH. Gutierrez’ strength is not his raw power, but his swing decisions. With the exception of his disastrous few games in Single-A in 2024, the backstop has never posted a walk rate lower than 10%. While doing that, he has never posted a strikeout rate higher than 17.1%, once again excluding his 27 Single-A plate appearances in 2024. In terms of what he swings at, he makes a bit more contact on pitches in the zone, with an 88% Z-Contact% compared to an 82.5 Florida State League average, but chases a few more out of the zone, with a 34.4% Chase% as compared to the league average of 29.2%. In terms of what he chooses to not swing at, Gutierrez’ selectivity has been roughly league average, but he has let far fewer favorable pitches go get past him, with a Hittable Pitch Take% of 27% as compared to the 2025 Florida State League average of 34.2%.

Gutierrez uses the entire field when he puts the ball in play, pulling the ball at a 50.2% rate, going back up the middle at a 24.2% rate, and going to the opposite field at a 25.6% rate. The backstop hit more balls in the air than on the ground, with a 24.3% line drive rate and 32.1% fly ball rate as compared to a 44.2% ground ball rate, but a low BABIP and a weak .067 ISO limited the amount of damage he was able to do on the balls that he did make contact with and put into play. At present, this may be due to the fact that Gutierrez has struggled against fastballs, hitting just .214 against them as opposed to .248 against non-fastballs. Whether or not he has the ability to improve against fastballs or simply has “slider bat speed” remains to be seen against a larger sample and more competition.

Behind the plate, Gutierrez is an extremely well-rounded catcher, whose defensive abilities are currently outpacing his offensive abilities. He possesses above-average arm strength, is a good receiver, and moves well to both sides of the plate while blocking the ball.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...ets-prospects-for-2026-daiverson-gutierrez-24

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: “It definitely had a different vibe”

Meet the Mets​

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo explained his reasoning for voting for David Wright when casting his first Hall of Fame ballot—that his peak rivaled anyone in his era and the all-time greats and should be given consideration just as much as accumulating stats over a longer career.

“The clubhouse in 2024 compared to last year was definitely different,” said former Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn, who signed with the Yankees this offseason, to the New York Post when asked about the Mets’ supposed clubhouse issues last season. “I wouldn’t say guys were in there throwing blows or anything like that, but it definitely had a different vibe. When I came over in 2024, J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias had a big impact on everyone in there and everyone vibed together. Those were the guys that helped the clubhouse mesh and last year, those guys weren’t there.”

Around the National League East​

The Phillies are among the teams interested in 27-year-old free agent Bo Bichette, according to reporting by Jon Heyman.

MLB Trade Rumors reviews the Nationals’ closer options after trading away the most obvious candidate for the job in Jose A. Ferrer.

Longtime Braves beat writer David O’Brien, who covered the team for both The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Athletic, announced his retirement on New Year’s Eve.

Around Major League Baseball​

The Toronto Blue Jays signed Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal.

Meanwhile, right-hander Kona Takahashi, whose posting deadline was today, is heading back to Japan.

Freddie Freeman—the current active MLB hits leader and surefire Hall of Famer already—may be the next player to reach the 3,000 hit mark.

This Date in Mets History​

Darryl Strawberry fell off the Hall of Fame ballot on this date in 2005 without being enshrined in Cooperstown. He is, of course, an inner circle Mets Hall of Famer, however.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...n-clubhouse-okamoto-jays-bichette-free-agency

 

[New York Mets]

Luisangel Acuña showed his pros and his cons in 2025

2025, as a season, was a season that can be qualified as a mixed bag for Luisangel Acuña, in the most generous of terms. Acuña, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers for Max Scherzer during the Great Sell-off of 2023, was a divisive prospect at the time, despite his clear Top 100 stature by both Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus. While no one doubted his defensive acumen and his ability on the base paths, the bat was an open question. It was unclear at the time if he would hit enough to be a starter, or if the bat would force him into a defensive utility role, and 2025 did some work to answer those questions.

Over 95 games (193 plate appearances), Acuña was a bad hitter, to be straight up with you. He hit .234/.293/.274 (65 wRC+), which is far from what you want. According to his Baseball Savant page, he hit 141 balls in play, and barreled up just two of them. His average exit velocity was a mere 87.9 miles per hour (he did hit a ball 110 miles per hour, so he can hit the ball hard, it just does not really happen often). This is just not the profile of someone who can reliably hit the ball at the Major League level.

However, he does bring skills to the table that make his future more interesting than anyone wants to admit. He is a strong defender at multiple positions, mostly second base, shortstop and third base. He started playing center field at a higher rate this year, and has played center field a lot in the Venezuelan Winter League (17 games in center vs 23 games at shortstop), which tells you a lot of how the Mets view him. He is an excellent base runner, and his 29.6 feet per second sprint speed is 97th percentile, which makes him one of the fastest players in the sport.

This whole mixture makes his outlook for 2026 confusing. The bat can be unplayably bad, but with the adoption of the designated hitter in the National League, you can hide a player like this on your bench, using them almost exclusively for their glove and legs. He is also still a young player, turning 24 years old in March of next year — which means you can either try and fix the bat yourself, or see if a team can convince themselves they can do it and trade him away.

While, personally, it is hard to see how Acuña goes from this to a regular starter because of the offensive deficiencies, he could prove to be a useful last player on your bench as David Stearns continues to rebuild the roster.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...w-luisangel-acuna-shortstop-speed-infield-bat

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Randy Guzman (23)

Name: Randy Guzman

Position: 1B/OF

Born: 04/19/2005 (Age 21 season in 2026)

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 215 lbs.

Bats/Throws: R/R

Acquired: IFA, September 22, 2022 (Dominican Republic)

2025 Stats: 49 G, 156 AB, .282/.371/.474, 44 H, 9 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 15 BB, 33 K, 0/3 SB, .319 BABIP (Rookie) / 26 G, 96 AB, .333/.381/.604, 32 H, 13, 2 3B, 3 HR, 6 BB, 21 K, 2/5 SB, .397 BABIP (Single-A)

Seventeen-year-old Randy Guzman, brother of former Texas Rangers prospect Ronald Guzman, was signed out of the Dominican Republic on September 22, 2022, receiving just a $10,000 bonus due to his advanced (for an international rookie from the Caribbean) age and only so-so reports from scouts and evaluators. He was assigned to the Dominican Summer League for the 2023 season and the 18-year-old spent the entire season there, hitting .175/.333/.294 in 46 games. He remained in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 but only appeared in 21 games in total- missing roughly a month from mid-June until mid-July- hitting .209/.303/.388 in the games he did play in.

While his numbers did not necessarily warrant it, Guzman was regarded as a hard worker by his coaches and was sent stateside and promoted to the Florida Complex Mets for the 2025 season. The move was designed to boost morale and spirit among Dominican Summer League players, showing them that hard work and perseverance does work and that numbers are not all that go into baseball operational decisions, but the 20-year-old out of Tenares responded in turn. He got off to a strong start, hitting .306/.393/.490 in May and he continued hitting. As the calendar turned to May, and from May to June, and from June to July, Guzman did not let up. In total, he hit .282/.371/.474 in 49 games, with 9 doubles, 7 home runs, and 15 walks to 33 strikeouts and was later named a Rookie Level All-Star by Minor League Baseball. The Mets promoted Guzman to Single-A St. Lucie at the end of July, and the youngster continued hitting. Appearing in 26 games for them, he hit .333/.381/.604 with 13 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and 6 walks to 21 strikeouts. All in all, with the FCL and St. Lucie Mets, Guzman appeared in a combined 75 games and hit a cumulative .302/.375/.524 with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs, stole 2 bases in 8 attempts, and drew 21 walks to 54 strikeouts.

At the plate, the left-hander stands tall, holding his bat above his head, angling his bat almost perpendicular to the ground. He lowers his hands and gets them into hitting position during his load, closing his body up and swinging a long bat. Guzman has surprisingly fast bat speed and is capable of punishing balls that he makes solid contact with. In 55 recorded batted ball events, Guzman averaged a 91.3 MPH exit velocity. He recorded 14 batted ball events with resulting exit velocities of 100+ MPH and 28 resulting in exit velocities of 95 MPH or better. He uses the entire field, pulling the ball at a 53.2% rate, going back up the middle at a 21.3% rate, and going to the opposite field at a 25.5% rate, and keeps the ball off the ground more often than not, posting a 24.2% line drive rate, 41.8% ground ball rate, and a 34.1% fly ball rate; of the balls he hit in the air, he ran a 24.2% infield fly ball rate and a 16.1% HR/FB rate.

Guzman’s 83.5 Z-Contact% was in line with league average, but he chased at a far higher rate. As compared to an MLB average Chase% of 32.8% in 2025 and a Florida State League average of 29.2%, the 20-year-old posted a Chase% of 43.7%. Against anything in the strike zone, Guzman hit a whopping .429/.422/.810 with an 18.3% Whiff%, but against pitches outside the zone, he hit .152/.317/.212 with a 44.3% Whiff%. He hit well against pitches thrown in the shadow of the zone, batting .349/.364/.558 with a 24.1% Whiff%, but really struggled against chase pitches, hitting .167/.375/.250 with a 50% Whiff%.

The right-hander’s struggles against chase pitches seemingly is due to zone awareness and not an inability to pick up spin. Against 192 fastballs, he hit .304/.385/.674 with a 28.4% Whiff% and in a sample almost as large as his sample against fastballs, he hit .360/.377/.540 with a 28.9% Whiff% against 157 non-fastballs. For Guzman to improve, he needs to work on his recognition of the strike zone and better learning what to offer at and what not to swing at.

Defensively, Guzman has played all over the diamond over the course of his career, spending the majority of his time at first base but spending significant time in left and right field as well.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

24) Daiverson Gutierrez​

25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...mets-prospects-for-2026-1b-of-randy-guzman-23

 

[New York Mets]

The Mets gave Jose Butto a fair shake

As Mets prospect-heads celebrate the signing of Wandy Asigen, let’s look back a decade to the 2016 international class. The top prospect, Kevin Maitan, signed for $4.25M, but would eventually be one of the centerpieces of the investigation that got John Coppolella banned from baseball for life; Maitan never reached the majors. The Mets, meanwhile, did not give out a single bonus in the top-50, instead spreading six-figure bonuses to guys like Sebastian Espino, Jose Peroza, Ezequiel Pena, and Luis Santana; none of them ever made the majors either.

The Mets also gave $5,000 to an overaged, 19-year-old Venezuelan in December, well after the initial flurry of signings. As you’ve probably put together, that was Jose Butto, who would emerge as a legitimate weapon out of the major league bullpen seven years later in 2023. It’s a tremendous success story for both the Mets and Butto himself.

Butto was even better in 2024, seemingly cementing himself into the bullpen picture coming in to the 2025 season. Things slipped though, not to a horrific level, but certainly to a lower level of performance. Despite a 3.64 ERA that was fine for a middle reliever, the underlying peripherals painted a less rosy picture. His strikeout rate never rebounded to 2024 or even 2023 levels, a bad combination with a persistently high walk rate. A couple of blow up outings on 7/23 and 7/29 likely didn’t help Butto’s case to stick around either (though I’d wager that sort of short-term thinking was not a major factor).

There’s one additional variable to consider; because he was added to the 40-man roster way back in 2021, Butto was out of options. In the modern era of bullpen churn, their is little appetite for retaining non-optionable middle relievers. Rather, these guys get used and DFA’d, sometimes sticking with the same team (as happened with plenty of arms you’ve forgotten about already), but often getting snapped up by other teams (like Rico Garcia). It’s a numbers game ultimately.

With the majority of the bullpen either locked in to late-inning roles, performing better than Butto, or having options remaining, the writing was on the wall heading into the deadline. If the Mets were to acquire another arm, Butto would head for the uncertainty of DFA limbo. likely passing through multiple organizations. Needless to say, most pitchers hate this model (and I’m sure it’s obvious why, from a quality-of-life perspective), and it’s a safe assumption that helping someone you signed and developed avoid the itinerant wandering of the modern middle reliever buys you some kudos with the players.

Through this lens, it makes a lot of sense why Butto was sent to the Giants in the Tyler Rogers. The Mets were able to capture some value (however small) for a player they’d have likely DFA’s and lost in waivers after adding Rogers and any other arms at the deadline. Simultaneously, they did a long-time Met a solid, sending him to a fixed destination where he’d have runway to figure things out and potentially stick long term.

Managing a modern baseball franchise requires a level of cold calculation that many would find unpalatable. The goal is to win the World Series after all, and hard decisions need to be made even when they adversely effect players and other personnel. Finding opportunities to avoid or minimize such trade-offs is important, both for PR purposes but more importantly because it’s the human thing to do. The Mets were able to do just that for Jose Butto last season, and he’ll hopefully continue to beat the odds and fare well in his new home.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...view-jose-butto-bullpen-options-rogers-giants

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Eli Serrano III (22)

The son of Sammy Serrano Jr., who played for Stetson University in the mid-90s and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 2nd round of the 1998 MLB Draft, Eli Serrano III followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued baseball. The Fuquay Varina, North Carolina native initially attended Patriot High School in Nokesvlle, Virginia, here his father was the head baseball coach, but transferred to the Pro5 Baseball Academy in Apex, North Carolina in his junior year. A former teammate of Ryan Clifford, Serrano hit .434 in his senior season in 2022. Considered a highly sought prospect due to his large, athletic frame, bat-to-ball skills, and power potential, he ultimately went undrafted in the 2022 MLB Draft and attended North Carolina State University.

Overview​

Name: Eli Serrano III
Position: OF
Born: 05/01/2003 (Age 23 season in 2026)
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats/Throws: L/L
Acquired: 2024 MLB Draft, 4th Round (North Carolina State University)
2025 Stats: 88 G, 324 AB, .222/.332/.358, 72 H, 21 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 50 BB, 77 K, 9/12 SB, .266 BABIP (High-A)

Serrano made an immediate impact in his freshman season, appearing in 53 games and starting 49 of them as the Wolfpack’s primary first baseman. He hit .292/.389/.470 in total, with 12 doubles, 7 home runs, 2 stolen bases in 3 attempts, and drew 24 walks to 37 strikeouts, earning ACC All-Freshman team honors. He had a similar season in 2024. Shifted from first base to center field, Serrano appeared in all 61 games the Wolfpack played and hit .285/.380/.431 with 9 doubles, 0 triples, 9 home runs, 7 stolen bases in 8 attempts, and drew 32 walks to 37 strikeouts.

A draft-eligible sophomore, the Mets selected Serrano in the 4th round of the 2024 MLB Draft and signed him for $697,500, just a bit over the MLB-recommended slot value for the 111th overall selection, $656,400. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets in mid-August and appeared in 17 games for them, hitting .238/.333/.444 with 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 1 stolen base, and 7 walks to 16 strikeouts.

The outfielder was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to begin the 2025 season and spent the entire year there, his season limited to 88 games due to an injury in late May that kept him off the field for a few weeks and then an injury in late August that ended his year prematurely. In the 88 games he played in, Serrano hit .222/.332/.358 with 21 doubles, 1 triple, 7 home runs, 9 stolen bases in 12 attempts, and drew 50 walks to 77 strikeouts.

Serrano, who is an impressive 6’5”, stands square at the plate, holding his hands high and wrapping his bat behind his head. He interchangeably uses a toe tap or light leg lift timing mechanism and has a very minimal load and weight shift. His long levered, left-handed stroke generally stays level through the zone and produces plenty of loud contact.

Thanks to his tall frame and long arms, Serrano has a great deal of plate coverage with his swing, but still needs to learn more selectivity and stop putting poorly hit balls in play simply because he is able to extend his arms and get wood on them. Left-handers have exploited all throughout his college career and in his brief time as a professional; against southpaws, Serrano hit .186/.290/.279 this past season as compared to a more palatable .235/.346/.387 against right-handers. When he makes solid contact, Serrano is capable of putting a charge in the ball, with multiple batted ball events resulting in 100+ MPH exit velocities. He does not expand the zone much, swinging and missing on outside pitches, so it is not that he is being fooled by away pitches, but rather, he needs to learn to take more questionable or bad pitches.

Serrano shows solid batting practice power, but he has yet to really manifest that in-game, and pulling and lifting the ball more solves that issue. With a 45.2% pull rate, 25.4% up-the-middle rate, and 29.4% opposite field rate, Serrano has room to optimize his batted ball data; likewise with a 26.1% line drive rate, 40.6% ground ball rate, and 33.3% fly ball rate, the outfielder shows a clear avenue for improvement.

Coming into the season, Serrano did not have a clear defensive home; he spent all of his 2023 freshman season as a first baseman and all of his 2024 sophomore season in centerfield. The Mets drafted Serrano as an outfielder and have penciled most of his playing time in at center, with a bit of time in left field and right field as well. While he is not speedy in the traditional sense, thanks to his long-legged gait giving him plenty of range, Serrano has been adequate in the outfield, but he is still very raw. He reads the ball off the bat well enough but needs to improve his routes to the ball. His arm is a bit stretched in right but is a bit stronger-than-average for center field. Serrano should be given every opportunity to improve his center field defense, but should he not, a corner outfield spot is likely his long-term home.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

23) Randy Guzman​

24) Daiverson Gutierrez​

25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...-25-mets-prospects-for-2026-of-eli-serrano-22

 

[New York Mets]

Starling Marte started out strong before injuries and age derailed his season

When Starling Marte joined the Mets on a four year, $78 million deal, it was to be somewhat expected that the backend of that contract wouldn’t be quite as appealing as the front end. Marte had just turned 33 when he signed the deal, and as we sit here a few months after his 37th birthday, some of what our Lukas Vlahos predicted might happen when he signed has come true.

Marte is […] 33-years old, and physical skills can go in a hurry once a player reaches their mid-30s. He’s not lose too much speed yet per Statcast (minor decreases in sprint speed and percentile ranking) and their have been elite basestealers that have held onto that skillset as they age. At the same time, it’s impossible to ignore the risk associated with Marte losing a step or two as he ages. Nearly 30% of his value came on the bases and in the field in 2021, and while there’s no direct way to put a number on it, a great deal of his purely offensive value comes for his speed as well.

…It’s worth describing the realistic downside risk. Marte is probably a safe bet to contribute in center field for 2022, but beyond next season may need to slide to a corner spot. If he loses a step, perhaps his defense slips to merely average or a tick below, and his baserunning skills decline to more pedestrian levels. Without power or on base skills to fall back on, a good chunk of the on-field value Marte produces could dry up in a hurry.

While his 2022 season was phenomenal, 2023 and 2024 were struggles, plagued by injuries, a lack of speed on the base paths and a steep decrease in defensive value. The offensive skills were diminished as well, but nothing seemed quite as dramatic in that aspect of his game. Appearing in 86 and 94 games, respectively, Marte was looking more and more like a part time player as the 2025 season loomed.

With all of that considered, Marte was looked at as mainly a designated hitter going into 2025, splitting time with Jesse Winker at the position. That plan went awry fairly early due to Winker injuries led to Marte getting the bulk of the early DH time and, for the most part, it worked out for the first three months of the season.

Through his day going on the IL in early July, Marte was batting .270/.353/.387. His power continued to be down, hitting just four home runs in his first 58 games of the season, as was his base stealing, with just five swiped bags across he same span. But he was holding his own against both lefties and righties, showing very little platoon split and being a productive bat.

On July 6, Marte made only his fifth of an eventual 12 appearances in the field, playing a complete game in left field. It would be his last appearance for a few weeks due to a right-knee bone bruise, a recurring injury from the prior year. He would miss just two weeks with the injury, but it would further erode his base-running value, with just two steals over the rest of the season.

It’s tough to call the season a complete wash for Marte as, when he was healthy, his bat added some value to the lineup and his leadership skills have been routinely praised. It is also worth noting that the highest paid player in baseball considers him a good friend and happens to be a teammate of his, and so if he had any role in helping Soto acclimate to life as a Met, there was tremendous off the field value to Marte being a 2025 met.

On the field, Marte was worth 1.0 bWAR. It was a slightly above average offensive year for a player who really shouldn’t touch grass again on a baseball diamond again professionally. He’s not a real fit for the bench, as he doesn’t have the defensive skills to be a semi-regular outfielder. He doesn’t have the leg speed anymore to be an above average pinch runner. With his power diminished, he’s not an ideal pinch hitter who can crank a hanger late in a game.

Regardless of what 2026 brings for Marte, his 2025 season was a mildly successful season where, if a few things had just broken better – and if he hadn’t been injured in July – it might’ve helped bring the Mets to back to back postseasons for only the third time in franchise history. But that’s not how this season went, and as the Mets’ core continues to scatter away from Queens, it seems most likely that Marte’s time as a Met has come to a close as well.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...starling-marte-injuries-outfield-stolen-bases

 

[New York Mets]

A Pod of Their Own, Episode 261: Tuckered Out

Welcome back to A Pod of Their Own, an all-women led Home Run Applesauce podcast where we talk all things Mets, social justice issues in baseball, and normalize female voices in the sports podcasting space.

This week, we begin by bemoaning the lack of activity by the Mets, but really also across all of baseball. The stove: she is very cold. But there have been crumbs of rumors involving the Mets, who are still seeking to add a starting pitcher and an outfielder.

We also say more power to Alex Cohen for simply logging off.

In the second half of the show, we talk about the A’s trying (and failing) to get a trademark for their team name, the implications the escalating situation in Venezuela has for baseball and the World Baseball Classic, and how AI is biased against women’s sports.

Finally, we wrap things up with Walk-off Wins, where each of us talks about what’s making us happy this week, baseball-related or otherwise.

You can listen or subscribe to all of our wonderful Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts. You can also support our work by subscribing to our Patreon, which will get you bonus episodes, access to our Discord server, livestream experiences, an exclusive monthly playlist, and more!

You can follow A Pod of Their Own on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky (@apodoftheirown) and you can follow Home Run Applesauce on Twitter and Instagram (@HRApplesauce). You can also follow our co-hosts on Twitter and Bluesky: Allison McCague (@PetitePhD), Maggie Wiggin (@maggie162), and Linda Surovich (@LindaSurovich). You can also email the show at [email protected].

Look for A Pod of Their Own in your feeds every week and don’t forget: there’s no crying in podcasting!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/podcast/89020/mets-podcast-a-pod-of-their-own-episode-261-tuckered-out

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Edward Lantigua (21)

Born on November 3, 2006, in Moca, a city in northern Dominican Republic, Edward Lantigua was considered one of the better players available in the 2024-2025 international rookie player class. The Mets formally signed the outfielder on January 15, 2024, the first day of the signing period, giving him a $950,000 signing bonus, the second-highest that they gave any one player that year.

Overview​

Name: Edward Lantigua
Position: OF
Born: 11/13/2006 (Age-19 season in 2026)
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 195 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Acquired: IFA, January 15, 2024 (Dominican Republic)
2025 Stats: 49 G, 153 AB, .288/.433/.399, 44 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 33 BB, 29 K, 13/23 SB, .366 BABIP (Rookie-FCL)

Lantigua played for both DSL squadrons in 2024, hitting .290/.443/.462 in 28 games with the DSL Mets Blue and .220/.313/.288 in 17 games with the DSL Mets Orange, good for a cumulative .263/.397/.395 batting line in 45 games on the season with 9 doubles, 3 triples, 1 home run, 9 stolen bases, and 21 walks to 37 strikeouts. He was sent stateside for the 2025 season, appearing in 49 games for the FCL Mets. The 18-year-old outfielder did not miss a beat, hitting .288/.433/.399 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 13 stolen bases in 23 attempts, and drew 33 walks to 29 strikeouts. Among players who played at least 40 games in the FCL, Lantigua’s OPS was eighth in the league.

Listed at 6’4”, 195 pounds, the skinny and leggy Lantigua has already added some height and mass since signing with the club and will undoubtedly put on some more as he ages. The right-hander stands open at the plate, holding his hands at the letters and angling his bat head at 1:00. He swings with a big leg kick and a smooth, balanced load and weight transfer. The swing is a bit long-levered but has shown no issues against his peers in live pitching exercises in both the Dominican Summer League and the Florida Complex League. It produces easy power, with multiple batted ball events resulting in 100+ MPH exit velocities in 2024 and 2025, and thanks to his good approach, exceptional eye, and strong bat to ball skills, Lantigua has the chance to develop into a multi-dimensional hitter with power to all fields. The biggest area of improvement that the 18-year-old needs to address is hitting the ball in the air more; his 16.4% line drive rate, 55.5% ground ball rate, and 28.2% fly ball rates in 2025 all were inferior as compared to his 18.8% line drive, 38.4% ground ball, and 42.9% fly ball rates he posted in 2024.

In the outfield, scouts and evaluators project Lantigua to have the ability to stay in center field thanks to his above-average speed. With his long legs and high waist, Lantigua has a body type that is unlikely to lose speed and athleticism as he adds muscle mass, but if he ever does and is unable to stay in center, his strong, above-average arm will allow him to play right field as well.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

22) Eli Serrano III
23) Randy Guzman
24) Daiverson Gutierrez
25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...25-mets-prospects-for-2026-edward-lantigua-21

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Antonio Jimenez (20)

Davie, Florida native Antonio Jimenez attended Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida, developing into a four-year letter-winner who became team captain. Over the course of his four-year varsity career with the Mavericks, the star shortstop hit a cumulative .338/.457/.466 in 91 total games with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, a perfect 38 stolen bases in 38 attempts, and 56 walks to 55 strikeouts. After graduating, Jimenez went undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to the University of Miami.

Overview​

Name: Antonio Jimenez
Position: INF
Born: 06/15/2004 (Age 22 season in 2026)
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2025 MLB Draft, 3rd Round (University of Central Florida)
2025 Stats: 26 G, 95 AB, .263/345/.274, 25 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 12 BB, 15 K, 8/11 SB, .305 BABIP (Single-A)

In his freshman season, Jimenez appeared in 45 games for the Hurricanes and hit .182/.300/.313 in 99 at-bats, with 7 doubles, 0 triples, 2 home runs, 3 stolen bases in as many attempts, and 17 walks to 36 strikeouts. After the 2024 season ended, he entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, hoping to play at a program that would be able to give him more playing time to develop as a hitter, and transferred to the University of Central Florida for the 2025 season. He played for the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Collegiate Baseball League that summer and hit .203/.322/.383 in 39 games for them before donning the black and gold of the Knights.

A draft-eligible sophomore, Jimenez appeared in 55 games for Central Florida and hit .329/.407/.575 with 14 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts, and 25 walks to 46 strikeouts. He started and played at 55 games at shortstop, finished among the team leaders in most offensive categories, and was named to the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List, an award given to the top shortstop in college baseball that was ultimately given to UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky.

With their third-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the Mets selected Jimenez, the 102nd player selected overall. Jimenez signed a few days later for a $564,000 underslot signing bonus, saving the Mets $188,000 with an MLB-assigned slot value for the 102nd overall pick valued at $752,000. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets for the remainder of the season and appeared in 26 games for them, hitting .263/.345/.274 with 1 double, 8 stolen bases in 11 attempts, and 12 walks to 15 strikeouts.

At the plate, Jimenez stands square at the plate with his hands at shoulder level. He swings with a slight leg kick or toe tap and minimal load and weight transfer. When he can extend his arms fully, Jimenez shows above-average pull-side power, making his heat map hottest middle/down-and-in. In 53 recorded batted ball events in 2025, he averaged an exit velocity of 83.8 MPH, with a high-water mark of 104.5 MPH. He recorded 21 batted ball events that resulted in exit velocities over 90 MPH, 13 that resulted in exit velocities above 95 MPH, and 9 with exit velocities over 100 MPH.

Despite nearly 40% of recorded batted ball events resulting in 90+ MPH exit velocities, Jimenez’ exit velocity average is so low because he recorded an equal number of subpar exit velocities; 13 batted ball events resulted in exit velocities below 75 MPH and 18 resulted in exit velocities below 80 MPH. Jimenez’s swings resulted in a massive variety of launch angles, ranging the gamut from -66 to 84; that is to say, while any player is going to bury their fair share of balls in the dirt or weakly pop them up, Jimenez had 18 batted ball results with negative launch angles and 9 with launch angles of 50-degrees or higher, explaining his 52.4% groundball rate and 38.5% infield flyball rate.

Jimenez is aggressive when he comes to the plate, looking to do damage, but poor pitch recognition and swing decisions coupled with the below-average wrist control from his long swing have led to a lot of weak contact resulting in groundballs or infield pop-ups, and strikeouts, especially on pitches down-and-away. His Z-Contact% was in line with the MLB average, but his O-Contact% rate was below average.

Defensively, Jimenez has the tools to stick at shortstop in the long term. His actions are smooth and silky, and he has soft hands and a slick glove. His movement is quick-twitch explosive, with above-average range to both sides. His arm is plus, arguably plus-plus, recording 100+ MPH throws across the diamond having since playing in high school.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

21) Edward Lantigua​

22) Eli Serrano III​

23) Randy Guzman​

24) Daiverson Gutierrez​

25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...ets-prospects-for-2026-inf-antonio-jimenez-20

 

[New York Mets]

Mets reach agreements with all arbitration eligible players

Back in November, the Mets non-tendered three pitchers in Max Kranick, Danny Young, and José Castillo, while tendering contracts to six arbitration eligible players. As of today, the team has settled with all of those players, coming to terms on their 2026 contracts and avoiding arbitration hearings. The salaries are as follows, with their 2025 salaries parenthetically following:

Luis Torrens: $2.275 million ($1.5 million)

David Peterson: $8.1 million ($4.625 million)

Francisco Alvarez – $2.4 million ($795,000)

Tylor Megill – $2.5 million ($1.975 million)

Huascar Brazobán – $1.05 million ($778,000)

Reed Garrett – $1.3 million ($950,000)

For at least two of those players, the salary will be paid out for their rehab assignments, as both Megill and Garrett will be recovering from Tommy John Surgery for likely all of 2026. Peterson, who had a phenomenal start to his 2026 before flailing mightily in the second half, has been a subject of potential trade talks this offseason, and now teams will know just how much they would owe the southpaw if he was on their roster.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...erson-alvarez-garrett-megill-torrens-brazoban

 

[New York Mets]

Top 25 Mets Prospects for 2026: Ryan Lambert (19)

Minnesota native Ryan Lambert attended Minnetonka High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, where he had impressive sophomore and senior seasons, his junior year lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. He went undrafted after graduating in 2021 and attended Northern Iowa Area Community College. The right-hander appeared in 10 games for the Trojans and posted an 8.53 ERA in 12.2 innings, allowing 17 hits, walking 8, and striking out 27. He played for the Minnesota Mud Puppies of the Northwoods League that summer, but instead of returning to Northern Iowa Area Community College, he transferred to Missouri State University, where he made the varsity baseball team as a walk-on. He did not pitch much and appeared in just two games out of the bullpen, allowing 4 earned runs in 2.1 innings on 4 hits and 7 walks, striking out two.

Overview​

Name: Ryan Lambert
Position: RHP
Born: 09/02/2002 (Age 23 season in 2026)
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 220 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Acquired: 2024 MLB Draft, 8th Round (University of Oklahoma)
2025 Stats: 7 G (0 GS), 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER (1.13 ERA), 1 BB, 17 K, .300 BABIP (High-A) / 39 G (0 GS), 42.0 IP, 28 H, 9 R, 8 ER (1.71 ERA), 26 BB, 64 K, .325 BABIP (Double-A)

He played for the Minnesota Mud Puppies once again that summer, and once again transferred to a new school. This time, he transferred to the University of Oklahoma, where head coach Skip Johnson saw a lot of potential in his blazing fastball, but wanted him to develop secondary pitches and better command. Lambert developed a slider, the slider improved his fastball, and the right-hander had his best season as a collegiate player. Appearing in 23 games for the Sooners, Lambert posted a 2.57 ERA in 21.0 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 12, and striking out 19. Following the end of the Oklahoma season, he pitched for the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League, allowing a single earned run in 6.0 innings with 3 hits allowed, 0 walks, and 10 strikeouts.

The Mets selected the right-hander with their 8th round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, the 233rd overall pick, and signed him for $172,500 to a slot value of $263,800, saving the organization $91,300. The right-hander was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones at the end of the season and threw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four. He began the 2025 season in Coney Island but was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies after roughly a month, as he was simply outright dominant. In 8.0 innings, the 22-year-old allowed a single run on 3 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 17. Against tougher competition in the Eastern League, Lambert was just as dominant. Appearing in 39 games for the Rumble Ponies, he posted a 1.71 ERA in 42.0 innings, allowing 28 hits, walking 26, and striking out 64. On the season as a whole, he posted a combined 1.62 ERA in exactly 50.0 innings, allowing 31 hits, walking 27, and striking out 81.

Lambert stands 6’3”, 220-pounds and throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot, utilizing a slight leg lift and a short arm action through the back. He hides the ball well, and while he is basically a two-pitch pitcher, both pitches are impressive, above-average offerings.

His four-seam fastball comfortably sits in the mid-to-high-90s, averaging 96.8 MPH and peaking at 102 MPH; while pitching for the West Virginia Black Bears, he set the MLB Draft League record for the hardest pitch thrown, letting loose a 100.7 MPH fastball against an unsuspecting Williamsport Crosscutters batter. In addition to pure velocity, Lambert’s fastball regularly flashes high spin rates, averaging an elite 2,700 RPM in 2025, giving it tremendous carry up in the zone, with up to 20 inches of induced vertical break. With a strike rate of 66.5%, a zone rate of 50.1%, and a whiff rate of 39.2%, his fastball was one of the best fastballs among all minor league pitchers in 2025.

He complements his fastball with a high-80s gyroscopic slider with sharp, glove-side bite. Throughout 2024, as he was just incorporating the pitch into his arsenal, it occasionally got loose and took on a slurvier shape, or was too firm and was more of a cutter, but Lambert has improved on keeping the pitch’s shape.

Lambert maintained an elite groundball rate while in college, posting a 56.1% groundball rate, 13.6% line drive rate, and 30.3% flyball rate during his time at Missouri and Oklahoma in 2023 and 2024, but the right-hander has not been able to replicate those kinds of numbers as a professional; in 2025, he posted a cumulative 27.8% groundball rate, 47.8% flyball rate, and 24.4% line drive rate. His command issues have followed him into professional baseball on the other hand, with Lambert posting an elevated 12.2% walk rate in 2025.

2026 Mets Top 25 Prospect List​

20) Antonio Jimenez​

21) Edward Lantigua​

22) Eli Serrano III​

23) Randy Guzman​

24) Daiverson Gutierrez​

25) Boston Baro​

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...5-mets-prospects-for-2026-rhp-ryan-lambert-19

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: No need for arbitration hearings

Meet the Mets​

The Mets agreed to contract terms with all of their arbitration-eligible players.

The White Sox claimed catcher Drew Romo off waivers from the Mets just a few weeks after the Mets had claimed him off waivers from the Orioles.

Despite a successful event last year, the Mets will not be holding a fan fest this winter.

The Mets signed right-handed pitcher Jun-Seok Shim to a minor league deal.

Around the National League East​

The Braves claimed left-handed pitcher Ken Waldichuk off waivers from the A’s.

The Phillies are set to have a meeting with free agent infielder Bo Bichette.

The Nationals agreed to terms with MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams, both of whom were eligible for arbitration.

Here’s what the trade of Edward Cabrera to the Cubs means for the Marlins’ rotation in 2026 and beyond.

Around Major League Baseball​

Eighteen arbitration-eligible players around the league didn’t come to terms with their teams and are set to head to hearings with their respective clubs, and the most notable one of that group is Tarik Skubal, as he and the Tigers are $13 million apart at the moment.

Jeff Passan wrote about baseball’s weird and unique arbitration process.

Nine major league teams have terminated their contracts with regional sports network operator Main Street Sports Group.

Chris Devenski, who spent the 2025 season in the Mets organization, has signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Steve Sypa c0ntinued our prospect countdown with Antonio Jimenez, who ranks 20th on our list this year.

Vasilis Drimalitis looked at Ryne Stanek’s underwhelming 2025 season with the Mets.

This Date in Mets History​

As Carlos Beltrán looks set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer, celebrating the anniversary of his signing with the Mets on this date in 2005 seems apropos.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...news-peterson-alvarez-arbitration-agree-terms

 

[New York Mets]

Should the Mets be all in on Kyle Tucker?

Ever since he was drafted fifth overall by the Astros in 2015, Kyle Tucker has been a well-known name in baseball. By the time the three most prominent outlets put out their top 100 or 101 lists in the winter of 2015-2016, Tucker was a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport. And by the time the 2019 season was getting underway, all three of Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, and MLB Pipeline had him in their top fifteen.

Tucker’s really stuck at the big league level in the pandemic-shortened season in 2020. Having made 72 plate appearances with the Astros in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he played in 58 games in 2020 and finished the season with a 122 wRC+ and 1.8 fWAR. He never looked back from there.

In each season since things started getting back to normal in 2021, Tucker has been worth between four and five wins by fWAR. From 2021 through 2023, he averaged 149 games played per season and had a cumulative 138 wRC+ with a total of 14.7 fWAR. And in 2024, a season that saw him play in just 78 games because of a shin injury, he played the best baseball of his life when he was on the field. Tucker hit 23 home runs in just 339 plate appearances, had a 179 wRC+, and was worth 4.2 fWAR in less than half a season of work.

The Astros traded Tucker to the Cubs following that campaign, and he was his typical self in his lone season in Chicago before hitting free agency. In 136 games, he hit 22 home runs, had a 136 wRC+, and finished the season with 4.5 fWAR. And as of the time of this writing, he’s still a free agent.

Entering his age-29 season, Tucker was ranked the top free agent in baseball by FanGraphs when the offseason began. And the Mets have chosen to make massive changes this winter, having jettisoned four players who have been big parts of the team’s identity over the past several years: Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Díaz, Pete Alonso, and Jeff McNeil.

David Stearns hasn’t done a ton to make the lineup look better following those departures. Marcus Semien, who came to the Mets in the trade that sent Nimmo to the Rangers, has some great seasons at the plate to his name, but he’s coming off a season that saw him finish with an 89 wRC+ and only had a 101 wRC+ in 2024. Entering his age-35 season, his last great year at the plate got underway nearly three years ago. He’s currently projected to bat second in the Mets’ lineup.

And Jorge Polanco, who signed a two-year deal with the Mets to learn first base or serve as the team’s designated hitter, is penciled in to the cleanup spot. He’s coming off a much better season at the plate, one that saw him put up a 132 wRC+ with the Mariners. And his track record is much better over the past five seasons, even if he had his own terrible year at the plate in the midst of that stretch with a 93 wRC+ in 2024.

The Mets very much do have two of the best players—and hitters—in baseball in their primes, though, in Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. Lindor has hit 30 or more home runs in three straight seasons, and he’s averaged 6.5 fWAR over the past four seasons. Even his first season with the Mets, the worst of his tenure, saw him finish the year with 3.9 fWAR. And as he enters his age-32 season, there’s no reason to think that he’s not very much still in his prime.

Soto is only heading into his age-27 season, and while Lindor was the better player by fWAR thanks to Soto’s atrocious defense in right field, Soto had one of the best offensive seasons in Mets history. With 43 home runs and a 156 wRC+ in 715 plate appearances, Soto ended the year with 5.8 fWAR. To state the blatantly obvious, he is in his prime.

And as high as the Mets’ payroll is right now, the team’s only long-term commitments have been made to those two players. Beyond the 2027 season, only two other players are even guaranteed any money from the Mets: Semien and recently-signed relief pitcher Devin Williams.

The crowdsourced projection for Tucker’s contract in the aforementioned FanGraphs free agent rankings had him getting an eight-year, $280 million contract when the offseason started. Whether or not he’s still going to demand a deal like that at this stage in the offseason remains to be seen, but the Mets’ preference would be to sign him to a shorter-term deal with a high average annual value. The Blue Jays are reportedly willing to go longer.

Should the Mets be a bit more flexible in that regard? Maybe. While Tucker certainly isn’t in the same tier as Lindor and Soto, he’s no slouch. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Tucker’s 18.5 fWAR trail puts him a couple of notches behind Soto’s 23.9 and Lindor’s 25.9. But he ranks 14th in all of baseball over that span, and the Mets don’t have a realistic path to acquiring anyone else in that group right now.

When you’ve gone and signed a contract like the fifteen-year, $765 million one that the Mets agreed to with Soto ahead of the 2025 season and already have a farm system that’s widely considered to be one of the best in the sport, doing what it takes to add Tucker might be the way to go.

The Mets have other problems, of course, and haven’t made any changes to a starting rotation that was a mess in 2025. And their best prospect this side of Nolan McLean, who barely retained prospect status after a dazzling stint in the big leagues to end his season last year, is Carson Benge, a left-handed-hitting outfielder.

With an owner who is already among the richest people in the world—with a money-printing casino set to be built on the former site of Shea Stadium—and two of the best players in the sport in their primes, having other holes to fill and a possibly-redundant prospect don’t seem like good enough reasons to let Tucker sign elsewhere.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo.../mets-kyle-tucker-rumors-analysis-free-agency

 

[New York Mets]

Jose Siri barely played, and played poorly, for the Mets

On November 9, 2024, the Mets sent reliever Eric Orze to the Rays in exchange for center fielder Jose Siri. At the time, Siri was seen as the 2025 version of Harrison Bader: a glove first defender with some potentially interesting offensive skills. It didn’t come without controversy*, and it didn’t necessarily look like a major upgrade over what Bader and Tyrone Taylor did the year prior, but it was a solid, cost effective move. And, because Siri has some very impressive power, there was a chance that, properly utilized, he could provide some down-lineup pop.

None of that happened. Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, Siri appeared in just 16 games for the Mets, collecting just two hits (both doubles, for what it is worth) in 36 plate appearances. He stole two bases, drove in one run, and walked four times against 17 strikeouts. Yes, you read that right: he struck out in more than half of his at-bats. He was perfectly fine in center field the little he played, converting all 17 chances, but given the right set of circumstances, almost any 16 game spread could see very little opportunity to do much of note one way or another in the outfield.

Siri only played in 16 games because in April he fouled a ball off his leg, breaking his tibia. This would keep him out of major league games until September 9th, far beyond the 8-10 weeks he was initially expected to miss. When he returned, he played in just six games before being designated for assignment in favor of a returning Taylor on September 24th.

Overall, he was worth -0.5 bWAR, finishing with a .063/.167/.125 slashline. Woof.

*Siri appeared in a video behind Wander Franco in an Instagram live video discussing the accusations of sexual abuse of a minor. Siri appeared behind Franco, supporting his then-teammate and implying that his accuser, a 14 year old girl, was going after Franco’s money. Siri never commented on, apologized for, or retracted his statements, despite Franco being found guilty and being sentenced to two years in prison.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...siri-fractured-tibia-injury-rays-center-field