Juan Soto discusses Mets’ failure despite lofty expectations for 2025
After the Mets were eliminated from playoff contention on the season’s final day, Juan Soto discussed what went wrong on Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami.
Roughly an hour after the Mets season had ended in the final week of September, the free agent discussions had already begun.
Pete Alonso made his intentions clear in the visiting clubhouse in loanDepot Park in Miami, announcing that he intended to opt out of the final season of his two-year contract to explore the open market for the second straight season.
Edwin Diaz played it a bit more coy, saying he would talk with his family whether he would opt out of the final two years of his Mets contract but proclaiming that he would like to be back in Flushing.
That gave David Stearns, the Mets’ president of baseball operations, and the club’s front office plenty to think about in the mere hours after the team’s season had come to a crashing end after losing two out of three to the Marlins and edged out by the Reds for the final playoff spot by virtue of a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The futures of Alonso and Diaz might be the most pressing discussions heading into the 2026 season but the team must also address a starting rotation that floundered down the stretch in 2025, a center field gap that regularly opened last season, a bare bullpen and chart a direction for their infield moving forward.
With all that said, it’s safe to say that this is an important offseason for Stearns and owner Steve Cohen as they look to lay credence to their goal of bringing a World Series back to Flushing for the first time in four decades.
As the Mets offseason begins to get going, make sure to follow along for our updates on the big moves, rumors and roster news all the way up until spring training:
Mets acquire Joey Gerber, sign Brandon Waddell
The Mets have continued to bolster their relief corps early in free agency.
On Tuesday, the Mets announced that they had acquired right-handed pitcher Joey Gerber from the Rays for cash considerations, while signing left-hander Brandon Waddell to a one-year major league contract.
The 28-year-old Gerber, who had been designated for assignment by the Rays, spent the majority of the season in the minor leagues, going 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA in 34 appearances, including nine starts, for Triple-A Durham. He struck out 54 batters in 43⅓ innings.
Waddell was a depth starter for the Mets last season, who evolved into a bulk reliever. He pitched to a 3.45 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP in 31⅓ innings last season.
A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley to return, Drew Smith out in option decisions
After spending the middle portion of the 2025 season sifting through left-handed relief options to fill a void, the Mets will have a strong stable of lefty bullpen options in 2026.
The Mets announced Tuesday that A.J. Minter had exercised his $11 million player option to return for the 2026 season, while the club exercised its $4.75 million club option to bring back Brooks Raley.
Minter missed the majority of the 2025 season after suffering a torn lat in late April that required surgery. The 32-year-old lefty allowed two earned runs in 10 innings with 13 strikeouts in his limited action last season. He is hoping to have a normal spring training with hopes of returning early in the campaign.
Meanwhile, Raley was brought back by the Mets on a one-year contract with a club option following season-ending injuries to Minter and fellow lefty Danny Young. Raley, who was still rehabbing from 2024 elbow surgery, returned in July and was one of the club’s most pleasant surprises, finishing 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 25⅔ innings.
The Mets re-signed Drew Smith on a prospective deal last summer after the right-hander had Tommy John surgery in July 2024. The club declined a $2 million team option on Smith, who was one of the longest-tenured Mets. Frankie Montas, who is expected to miss all of the 2026 season, exercised his $17 million player option for next season.
Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz opt out of contracts
One was announced and the other expected.
Two days after the completion of the World Series, Pete Alonso opted out of the second year of his two-year contract with the Mets and Edwin Diaz also opted out of his final two seasons with the Mets, according to multiple reports.
Alonso had announced those intentions on the final day of the regular season after the Mets were eliminated from playoff contention, while Diaz was a little more calculated in his plan.
Alonso is coming off a season in which he posted a .871 OPS with 38 home runs, 126 RBI and a league-high 41 doubles. His $54 million contract signed last February included $24 million for the second season.
Diaz, meanwhile, signed a five-year, $102 million deal ahead of the 2025 season, which was the biggest contract for a relief pitcher at the time. He had $28 million remaining on his deal through 2027. The Mets can extend a qualifying offer to receive draft pick compensation if Diaz signs elsewhere.