Ranking the Mets' Biggest Offseason Needs: It All Comes Back to the Rotation

The New York Mets have a lot of work to do to get back to the playoffs in 2027. Which of their needs is the most important entering the offseason?

Sep 4, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, speaks to members of the media prior to the game against the San Francsico Giants at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the 2026 season for the New York Mets has come to a close, it's hard to see a way back to contention without significant change. The Mets did make some important decisions this past week, keeping Andy Green as their full-time manager and adding Derek Falvey to their front office, but the actual roster still has some major issues.

Which issues for the Mets are most important to solve if they hope to bounce back from a massively disappointing two years and return to October? Let's rank them in order of importance.

5. Bullpen

This has become significantly less of an issue over the course of the second half, as strong showings from the likes of Dedniel Nunez, Kodai Senga, and Daniel Duarte have given David Stearns options to build a unit. Devin Williams is already locked in as the closer for next season, and it is easy to see the aforementioned triumvirate, as well as others like Nate Lavender and Reed Garrett, forming the bones of a successful bullpen.

Most of the relievers the Mets dealt away also took a step back with their new teams, validating Stearns' decision to sell high on the group. There is still a need for a veteran setup man, and another lefty wouldn't hurt, but the Mets have enough options to piece together a unit without building it entirely in free agency.

4. Third Base*

This one comes with an asterisk, as it depends entirely on the Bo Bichette opt-out decision. If Bichette chooses to stay in New York for another year, the need will go entirely off the list, as Bichette will lock down the position to buy another year for some of the team's top prospects to develop there.

Third base becomes a much bigger issue if Bichette opts out, since the Mets' internal options there are Brett Baty, who has been very inconsistent for years, Ronny Mauricio, or Mark Vientos. Given the lack of quality third basemen in the free-agent class, the Mets would potentially need to explore the trade market if they can't retain Bichette.

3. Designated Hitter

The next two spots are hand in hand, as the Mets need to find another thumper for the middle of their batting order, with the DH spot a natural option to fill it. There is a case to be made that the Mets could rotate the spot among players like Jorge Polanco, Juan Soto, Bichette, and Francisco Alvarez to keep their hitters fresh, but the team is not deep enough to afford that luxury.

The Mets may well decide to make Polanco their primary designated hitter in the final year of his contract, but Polanco's Achilles injury makes it tough to bank on him. With the team in need of more certainty in terms of offense, getting a strong hitter for this spot makes sense.

2. First Base

The agitation from fans about Pete Alonso's departure has been magnified by the fact that Stearns botched the replacement plan for the Polar Bear. The thought that converting Polanco to first base and pairing him with Vientos and Baty as an aggregate replacement for Alonso was laughable, and it predictably backfired.

Jared Young has shown promise this season, but the Mets' upside would be severely limited if they decided to platoon him and Polanco at first base next season. That option could work if the Mets go get a true bopper for the DH spot, but they need a definitive answer at one of those spots, with first ranking higher given the significant dip Ryan Clifford took at AAA Syracuse this year.

1. Starting Rotation

All roads lead back to the rotation, and Stearns' piecemeal efforts to fill it have been very hit-or-miss. While the Mets have a number of capable options who can start big-league games, the only true quality options they can pencil in to the rotation are Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, with Sean Manaea, Jonah Tong, and Zac Thornton best served competing for the final rotation spot.

The smartest play the Mets can make would be to go all-in on Tarik Skubal and then add another veteran for the middle of the rotation, making Scott a high-end No. 4 and giving them sufficient depth in the event of injuries. Signing a few mid-tier arms to one-year deals or hoping a collection of youngsters can all hit at once is inherently risky, which the Mets need to avoid this winter.

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