From the moment the New York Mets‘ 2025 season came to an end in late September, President of Baseball Operations David Stearns said that improving the Mets’ defense would be a priority in the offseason. “I’ll keep harping on run prevention,” Stearns said. “That is where we fell short this year.”
But with only a few weeks left before spring training, most of the Mets’ big roster moves are done. The defense has been rebuilt, with some pieces playing interesting positions.
An Infield of Shortstops
The first major move the Mets made this offseason was trading longtime outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien. Semien came up as a shortstop but moved to second base when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He’s won two Gold Gloves as a second baseman, including in 2025.
The Mets signed infielder Jorge Polanco to play first base after Pete Alonso signed with the Baltimore Orioles. While Alonso was a great hitter for the Mets, his defense left something to be desired. His lack of range and inability to throw consistently to bases cost the Mets repeatedly.
Polanco has never played first base in his career. He, too, came up as a shortstop, and the Mets are hoping that athleticism will help him at the position.
The Mets then signed shortstop Bo Bichette to play third base, a position he hasn’t played since high school. Add on Gold Glove shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets suddenly have an athletic, versatile infield. Stearns touted this infield, while also admitting the learning curve Bichette and Polanco have. “We’re probably going to make a mistake or two, but we’re also going to have elite range round the infield,” Stearns said. “That’s pretty exciting.”
That range might prove useful with a rotation that could feature three groundball specialists in Nolan McLean, David Peterson, and Clay Holmes.
More Athletic Outfield
It wasn’t just the infield the Mets sought to improve — they also made moves to benefit the outfield. The Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox to be their everyday centerfielder. The 2020 Gold Glove winner has been elite defensively every year of his career and is an improved version of Tyrone Taylor.
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Trading Nimmo opened a hole in left field. The Mets seem to be rolling with two internal options for the position. Taylor could play left, giving the Mets two known good defenders in the outfield, or they could roll with highly-touted prospect Carson Benge.
The Mets’ 2024 first-round pick, MLB Pipeline said Benge’s outfield reads “improved enough in center that he could also be above average” as a corner outfielder. Stearns said at the GM Meetings in December that Benge will have a chance to be with the Mets on Opening Day.
Either Taylor or Benge would be a defensive improvement over Nimmo, whose age and recurring foot injuries had severely limited his range in recent years.
Some Concerns
The Mets’ defense has some question marks. The big one revolves around Bichette and Polanco. Both are playing new positions, and it’s hard to say how they’ll handle it. The adjustments could be smooth, or they could be tricky. But the Mets have backups in case the experiments don’t work perfectly. Brett Baty is a natural third baseman who could give Bichette a day or two off his feet, and first base prospect Ryan Clifford is expected to make his big league debut at some point this year.
Another issue is with the offense. The Mets sacrificed a lot of hitting by trading Nimmo and letting Alonso leave in free agency. Semien, Robert, and Taylor all had a sub-.700 OPS last year. Benge has never seen a pitch in the majors. Polanco, albeit a very good hitter, doesn’t have the same fearsome power Alonso has.
Looking Ahead
The Mets’ position player group reports to spring training in less than three weeks. Opening Day is in two months. The Mets have a lot of changes on this roster, particularly defensively. They’ll need to gel quickly in order to field a competitive unit.
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