The New York Mets are retooling their roster this winter in what is expected to be a very busy offseason for them.

Everyone within the organization knows the team must make the playoffs next season after failing to do so this year. However, two of their biggest players from last season’s team, first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, are now free agents.

With the winter meetings coming up very quickly, New York will have a great chance to add to its team. Mike Axisa is predicting the team will sign one of its two big-name free agents at the meetings.

“It is in no way a lock the Mets re-sign either player,” Axisa wrote for CBS Sports. “The club needs a major vibe shift after their disappointing 2025 season, and that process is already underway with the Brandon Nimmo-Marcus Semien trade. I do think the Mets will ultimately bring one of the two back though, with a Díaz reunion seeming far more likely than Alonso, even after the Mets signed Devin Williams to strengthen the bullpen.” 

In an ideal world, the Mets would love to bring both of them back for next season and beyond. However, both players are expected to sign deals north of $100 million, and the Mets have other holes to fill besides bringing both of them back. David Stearns would have to work some magic to make that happen and fill all of the other needs.

Pitching was a major issues for New York last year, so it would be even more difficult for the Mets to not give Diaz the contract he has earned. While some of that failure last season was in the starting rotation, the bullpen was certainly at fault on many occasions as well.

Stearns will have to make some tough decisions this winter, and he could begin to make them very soon. If Diaz and/or Alonso return, neither of them seem inclined to take a hometown discount.

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