Mets left with one clear free agency fit as rotation takes shape

The New York Mets' pursuit for a starting pitcher may come down to this one free agent arm.

May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

There is a lot of pressure on the New York Mets to make a splash in free agency right now.

While New York did sign versatile infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal last week, the sentiment among the Mets' fan base is that more must be done to atone for the team losing both Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso in free agency. The good news is that David Stearns and the rest of the Mets' front office seem to agree that the roster still needs to improve, and New York appears poised to add at least one more impact bat.

Read more: David Stearns reveals Jorge Polanco's role with Mets

Even after losing Alonso, improving the starting rotation would seem to be the Mets' biggest need. Their staff struggled down the stretch last season, and Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes appear to be the only trustworthy starters at this point. There's still hope that a trade for Tarik Skubal could be on the table, but the Mets can't afford to bank on that possibility.

Oct 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) walks off the field after the first inning against the Seattle Mariners during game five of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

Instead, they would be wise to acquire a starter in free agency, especially while most of the top arms are still available on the market.

Mets Called Top Free Agency Fit for Framber Valdez

New York has been linked to all five of the top starting pitchers still available in free agency (Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Tatsuya Imai, Zac Gallen, and Michael King). However, The Athletic's Jim Bowden believes that Valdez is their best fit, as he called the Mets Valdez's top potential destination in a December 17 article.

One reason why Valdez might hold a unique appeal to New York is that he's a ground ball pitcher, which is a rare and valuable commodity in the modern game.

Framber Valdez met with the following teams at the GM meetings last month, per @jonmorosi

-San Francisco Giants
-New York Mets
-Baltimore Orioles pic.twitter.com/DRU2XMKCmN

— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) December 8, 2025

While the Mets were also called a fit for Tatsuya Imai, Bowden called them his third most likely fit behind the Cubs and the Yankees. And since it's now being reported that Imai is deciding between Chicago and the Yankees, the Mets might already be out of the Imai sweepstakes.

Valdez would be a good complement to McLean and Holmes in the Mets' rotation, if only because he's a southpaw and they're both righties. While the hope is that Sean Manaea can make more of an impact for New York in 2026 than he did last year, having a more consistent lefty like Valdez would be the final rotation piece that New York needs as the 2026 rotation becomes clearer.

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