4 Free Agents Mets Should Target to Solve First Base Conundrum

These pending free agents could be exactly what the Mets need at first base.

San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France could find himself on the New York Mets' free agency wishlist. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A year removed from parting ways with franchise icon Pete Alonso, the New York Mets are still searching for an answer at first base.

Jorge Polanco had a disastrous and injury-riddled debut season with the Mets. Jared Young, on the other hand, had a breakout 2026 campaign with a .759 OPS, but it would be ill-advised to hand the 31-year-old the full-time job for 2027.

Young will still factor into the Mets' plans next year, either as a platoon bat or a strong bench option. Meanwhile, Polanco's prospects for next season are a little less certain. However, there are several pending free agents the Mets could bring in to compete at first base, and they should target these four in particular.

Ty France

At 31, Ty France is enjoying the best offensive season of his career. A mainstay in the Seattle Mariners lineup for several years, he's bounced around over the last few seasons as his production dipped. He signed with the San Diego Padres this offseason for a measly $1.35 million, and he's more than outplayed that value with a batting average just over .300 and an OPS approaching .900.

There is reason to be wary about whether this kind of offensive production is sustainable, especially because France combined to produce just a .675 OPS between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. However, he has been extremely consistent for the Padres this entire year.

France is producing against both righties and lefties, and he's also recorded at least a .800 OPS in every single month this season. He's also produced extremely similar home and away splits and has been a quality defender, ranking in the 94th percentile with 9 outs above average, per Baseball Savant.

It's unlikely France will have the same all-around success in the years to come, but even a slight decrease in what he's done this year would be valuable to the Mets next season.

Alec Bohm

The Philadelphia Phillies corner infielder is in the midst of a slightly down year, owning an OPS just above .700. Still, he's just two years removed from an All-Star appearance, and he's a career .274 hitter.

Bohm has not reached the expectations he set for himself when he burst onto the scene with an .881 OPS in 2020. In fact, his next-highest OPS in any season is .779. That's a very strong number, but his inability to replicate his best seasons, paired with poor defense and a tendency to ground into a lot of double plays, has him likely on his way out of Philadelphia.

Could the New York Mets target Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm in free agency, who has played first base often since the MLB trade deadline? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, the 30-year-old is still a solid contact hitter. Even with his average down this year, he's still elite at squaring up the ball and avoiding strikeouts. Bohm doesn't walk much, even though he has a career-high 45 walks this season. He relies on getting base hits to reach base.

At this point in his career, Bohm's ceiling is limited, but his floor is high enough that the Mets should consider signing him. His best role would likely be as a platoon bat against lefties, given that his OPS against lefties this year is about .170 points higher than against righties.

Josh Bell

Bell is about as reliable as reliable gets, even at 34 years old. Despite bouncing around the last several years, he's still recorded an OPS+ at or above 100 in every full season of his career. This season with the Minnesota Twins, he has a .741 OPS, matching his production level from a year ago.

Bell has recorded at least 20 home runs in each of the past two seasons and in four of his last six seasons. He also has 91 RBIs this year, which is the second-most runs he's driven in in a season.

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell's reliability could be an intriguing free-agent fit for the New York Mets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Because of his age and his lack of defensive ability, Bell has mostly been a DH for the past two seasons, playing just 53 games at first base combined in 2025 and 2026. The Mets could follow the same formula if they decide to sign Bell, playing him occasionally at first base and getting his bat in as the DH most of the time.

David Stearns is a defensive-minded guy, which might not put Bell on his radar. However, the Mets need reliability in their lineup, with several positions undetermined heading into next year. Josh Bell should certainly be an option if the Mets want to have a better offense in 2027.

Jake Bauers

This is an interesting one because it's unlikely you'd see David Stearns bring in another lefty bat to compete with Jared Young. But an exception can be made for Jake Bauers, who has broken out in a massive way in 2026.

Bauers will soon be 31 and is in line for a major pay raise after making just $2.7 million this year. He has 26 home runs, 83 RBIs, and leads the NL in on-base percentage, getting on base at a near .400 clip.

Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Jake Bauers could be an interesting free-agent target for the New York Mets due to his versatility. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brewers, who are elite at developing talent, have seen Bauers improve in each of the three seasons he's spent in Milwaukee. His underlying statistics suggest he has been among the league's best in almost all offensive categories except swing-and-miss. Despite striking out a lot, Bauers walks a lot and hits the ball extremely hard.

Another downside to Bauers is that he's not a particularly great fielder, as he leads the league with eight errors at first base. However, he also provides corner outfield versatility that could be helpful for the Mets if they want to get Juan Soto off his feet more.

Bauers is a wild card because of his age, his sudden emergence, and what he might command on the open market, but the numbers are just too good to ignore.

*stats are current as of Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 22

Get Mets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.