The New York Mets‘ offseason has been a complicated one so far. The club started by overhauling its coaching staff. That came before they bid farewell to four franchise players, only to add four new faces to the roster. However, the Mets’ offseason is far from over, with talk of bringing in another top free agent before spring training starts.
Overhaul of Coaching Staff
After missing the playoffs by one game, the Mets embarked on a complete overhaul of their coaching staff. Although manager Carlos Mendoza is still at the helm, the team moved on from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. Hitting coaches Jeremy Barnes and Eric Chavez were not brought back alongside third base coach Mike Sarbaugh. Catching coach Glenn Sherlock retired and first base coach Antoan Richardson chose to sign elsewhere.
To compensate for the departures, the Mets brought in Kai Correa to become their new bench coach. Justin Willard will be their next pitching coach, as Dan McKiney has been promoted to assistant pitching coach. Troy Snitker will serve as the hitting coach, Tim Leiper will be the third base and infield coach. Gilbert Gomez was promoted to the role of first base and outfield coach. Jeff Albert will be the Mets’ director of major league hitting, and J.P. Arencibia was promoted to catching coordinator.
Four Franchise Players Depart
The Mets’ offseason heated up with a one-for-one trade where they swapped outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who had spent nearly a decade with the team, for Texas Rangers infielder Marcus Semien. Nimmo had a memorable 2022 season, recording 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 30 doubles and seven triples. His efforts helped the Mets reach the postseason that year, as they did again in 2024. However, Nimmo’s eight-year, $162 million contract became too expensive for the team to keep on the payroll.
About two weeks later, the Mets passed on re-signing closer Edwin Diaz, who went on to sign with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Diaz was a cornerstone member of the Mets’ bullpen with 28 saves and 98 strikeouts last season. The Mets did offer Diaz a contract, but he decided to take the Dodgers’ offer instead.
One day later, All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles after spending seven seasons in Queens. Alonso was a key member of the Mets lineup, having three seasons where he hit more than 40 home runs and four where he reached over 100 RBI. He also appeared in all 162 games for the past two seasons. However, during the 2025 Winter Meetings, the Mets did not extend a final offer to Alonso because “bidding was heading to places they weren’t interested in going.”
As free agency was beginning to wind down, the Mets traded veteran Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for 17-year-old pitching prospect Yordan Rodriguez. McNeil spent seven seasons with the Mets, becoming an All-Star twice and winning the NL batting title in 2022. The Mets traded him to open up a roster spot, allowing for another player to be signed.
Four New Faces Join
In return for Nimmo the Mets received Semien, a three-time All-Star and 2023 World Series champion. The veteran second baseman adds defense to their roster, although his offense declined in 2025.
Not long after the team signed closer Devin Williams to replace Diaz, who signed with the Dodgers a couple of days later, Williams will reunite with Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns after they spent time together with the Milwaukee Brewers. Williams has a career 2.45 ERA and 86 saves. From 2022–24, he had a 1.66 ERA in 141 innings and had 14 Goose Eggs with one Broken Egg.
Two weeks later, the Mets signed infielder Jorge Polanco to replace Alonso at first base. Even though Polanco has never played that position, he has found prior success as a utility player for the Seattle Mariners. Last season, he helped hit 27 home runs and 78 RBI, which were good enough to help them reach the ALCS.
The Mets’ last major signing of the offseason was the two-year contract they gave to reliever Luke Weaver. Weaver was one of the more prominent members of the New York Yankees bullpen, recording 72 strikeouts and going 8–for–12 on save opportunities with 27 goose eggs and eight broken eggs. He will likely be used as a setup man for Williams, similar to what the Yankees did last season.
What’s Next
With a roster spot still available, the Mets can bring in a top free agent. Recent reports suggest that they have been looking into giving outfielders Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger a contract. But the front office has also shown that they are hesitant to offer long-term deals, which both players intend to receive.
If that’s the case, then the Mets can trade for outfielder Luis Robert Jr. or sign right-hander Framber Valdez, two players they have been linked to this offseason. Bringing in either player will fill a gap in the roster and add more talent to their club.
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