Mets Considered These Outfield Options Before Luis Robert Jr. Trade

The New York Mets have changed the entire narrative surrounding their offseason over the past month.

Even though the Mets appeared to be dormant from late December to early January, that wasn't the case. David Stearns was carefully considering every possibility after breaking up the team's underachieving core, and he struck when the right opportunity presented itself. This led New York to sign Bo Bichette to a lucrative short-term deal to fortify the lineup, and trade for Freddy Peralta to finally give the rotation a true headliner.

In between those two seismic moves, the Mets also traded for Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox. New York has shown interest in Robert for a while, and had even discussed a trade for him prior to the 2025 deadline before backing out due to a high asking price. Despite this prior interest, he wasn't the only outfielder on the Mets' radar.

Mets reportedly looked at these outfielders, per insider

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets had looked at several other outfielders in both the trade market and free agency before pulling the trigger with the South Siders. These included Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians, Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Ramón Laureano of the San Diego Padres, and free agent Harrison Bader (who recently signed with the San Francisco Giants).

Outfielders the Mets showed interest in before trading for Luis Robert, per @WillSammon

Steven Kwan
Lars Nootbar
Brendan Donovan
Ramon Laureano
Harrison Bader pic.twitter.com/VObpkgsL2t
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) January 30, 2026

Of course, free agents Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger were also potential options, but the Mets lost out on the former to the Los Angeles Dodgers and negotiations with the latter were never close; Bellinger re-signed with the cross-town rival Yankees shortly after the Mets made the Robert trade.

Out of the names that Sammon mentioned, Kwan may have been the best fit for New York because he would directly replace Brandon Nimmo in left field. The 28-year-old has been one of the game's best contact hitters and defensive outfielders, with a 15.1 fWAR, an incredible 68 Defensive Runs Saved, and only 246 strikeouts in 2,589 plate appearances across his first four seasons. However, the Guardians have made the postseason in three of Kwan's four seasons and may see him as a piece to build around, so the Mets would have needed to blow Cleveland away with an uncomfortable price.

Both Laureano and Bader enjoyed resurgent seasons in 2025, but their inconsistent play in years prior may have been red flags when considering them. In the case of Laureano, his defensive metrics have declined rapidly over the years, which doesn't align well with Stearns' emphasis on run prevention and defensive versatility.

In Donovan's case, he is a utility player who is used in a similar fashion that the Mets plan to use Brett Baty, so acquiring him would simply be redundant unless New York plans on moving on from Baty. Finally, Nootbaar is rather injury-prone and struggled last season despite playing in a career-high 180 games, while the Cardinals would have a high asking price for both because Donovan and Nootbaar have additional years of team control.

Inside the Mets’ offseason: A Bo Bichette plot twist and a methodical overhaul https://t.co/rQFEXSihV6
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 30, 2026

Ultimately, the Mets chose to go through with the Robert trade thanks to a key detail reported by Sammon. After signing Bichette, New York informed Chicago that they were willing to absorb Robert's entire $20 million salary for 2026; this resulted in the White Sox lowering the asking price, which resulted in the Mets shipping off Luisangel Acuña and pitching prospect Truman Pauley, neither of whom figure into the Mets' future plans.

The lower prospect capital given up lowers the risk of the deal while still maintaining high reward. Although Robert is still looking to recapture his 2023 form at the plate, he boasts tremendous range and speed in center field that aligns perfectly with New York's improved defense. If he can get on base at a more consistent clip, the Mets would be getting an All-Star caliber player; if things don't work out, the team can simply decline Robert's $20 million club option for 2027.

It's clear that the Mets were not short of options in the outfield. But choosing Robert was the right call based on his upside and what the team gave up for him.

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Mets reportedly looked at these outfielders, per insider

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