How do NY Mets proceed in the wake of losing Pete Alonso to Orioles?
David Stearns has a huge task ahead after the Mets’ core has been disbanded following the departures of Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo.
The chasm between the Mets and Dodgers, the two-time defending champions, grew exponentially in a 24-hour span this week at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings.
The Dodgers ripped away the Mets’ longtime closer Edwin Diaz, while New York also lost five-time All-Star Pete Alonso to the Orioles one day later.
The Mets front office, led by president of baseball operations David Stearns, is now staring at an incomplete picture of how they want their roster to look for 2026 and beyond while maintaining a vision of building a contender.
The club’s future is one of the most intriguing in MLB, with a core demolished in a few weeks and the spending power of Steven Cohen available to build it back up.
With roughly two months to go until spring training, Stearns might be the busiest executive in baseball. And with a number of holes to fill, here are three moves the Mets could make to help close the gap after a chaotic stay in Orlando.
Aggressively pursue Cody Bellinger
Did the Yankees’ offseason priority just become that of the Mets?
The Yankees’ need might not be as great, with Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer, Aaron Judge stationed in right field and Jasson Dominguez poised for a deeper look.
With Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo gone, Bellinger feels like the perfect fit given his positional versatility. He could play left or center field while also occupying first base in a potential platoon with the right-handed hitting Mark Vientos.
Stearns has harped on run prevention throughout the offseason, and Bellinger’s range and glove would be a plus, particularly in left where he had a 7 defensive runs saved. His OAA (7) and arm value (3) were both in the top 10 percent of the league.
Bellinger’s bat does not provide the same pop as Alonso, but he strikes out nearly half as often, has hit for a higher average over the last three seasons and is much quicker on the bases. While there appears to be a glut of left-handed bats on the current Mets roster, Bellinger offers quality reverse splits. He posted a .353 average and 1.016 OPS against lefthanders last season.
Maybe the combination of those qualities would merit a bigger swing for the Mets in what figures to be a competitive market.
Pick up one or two of the last top-end relievers
Stearns contends the Mets are “very comfortable” proceeding with Devin Williams as the team’s closer heading into the 2026 season, but the bullpen as currently constituted leaves room for skepticism.
Beyond Williams, the Mets have a pair of quality left-handers in Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, but the latter is still working back from a torn lat muscle that forced him to miss most of 2025. Minus Huascar Brazoban, each of the remaining relief pitchers on the roster spent the majority of last season in the minor leagues.
It seems near impossible to replace Diaz, who earned a pair of NL Reliever of the Year awards with the Mets, including last season when he struck out 98 batters in 66⅓ innings while maintaining a 1.63 ERA.
When asked if the Mets will add another high-leverage arm, Stearns was noncommittal.
“I think we’ll see,” Stearns said Tuesday. “I think we’re having plenty of conversations. I think there are different ways to build a bullpen, and we’re going to continue to explore all of them.”
But there remains a real need to beef up this unit, and the options are dwindling. On Thursday, the Braves added Robert Suarez on a three-year deal. Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley and Hoby Milner have all inked their new deals.
The Mets should aim to add another dependable right-hander to add to their late-game mix. Longtime Rays reliever Pete Fairbanks fits the bill. He has registered 23 saves or more in each of the last three seasons while posting a combined 2.98 ERA and 1.07 WHIP since 2023.
Fairbanks is a hard-thrower with a different mix than Williams, relying on a slider rather than a changeup for his swing-and-miss pitch.
Explore trades for Steven Kwan or Jarren Duran
Beyond Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, the outfield market begins to thin out.
If Bellinger stands out as a versatile option who could help fill the first base void, the Mets could also use someone for depth in left or center field.
They are readying for the eventuality that one of their prospects, like Carson Benge, Jett Williams or AJ Ewing, could eventually solve their outfield void, so a trade for a short-term fix stands out as a viable option for one of those players to get their feet under them.
Steven Kwan (in left field) or Jarren Duran (in left or center) are a pair of intriguing outfielders in their primes who could be dealt. Kwan is a plus defender in left field who would provide a pesky bat in the top of the order and decent speed as a run-scoring threat.
Duran has a little bit more explosion in his bat and is one of the fastest players in MLB. While his glove is a bit a shakier than Kwan’s, the offensive upside where Duran had 70 extra-base hits including a league-high 13 doubles is tantalizing.
According to a report by ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Guardians don’t intend to trade Kwan but would listen to offers. Duran, who is under Red Sox team control for two more years after this one, has long been a subject of trade rumors.
Maybe the Mets could dip into their starting depth to help either of those teams fill a rotation deficiency with either David Peterson or Kodai Senga while sweetening the pot with one of their other prospects.