An anxious few days in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes came to an end late Thursday night, and the result was not the one the Mets were hoping for.
Tucker -- a four-time All-Star and the unquestioned best player on the free-agent market -- signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers. Despite the Mets reportedly extending Tucker a four-year offer worth $220 million, the outfielder became the latest star to choose L.A. over New York this offseason.
With the start of Spring Training looming next month, the Mets’ offseason overhaul is far from complete. There are still a number of targets out there -- both in free agency and on the trade market -- and New York touts the necessary prospect capital and financial resources to flex its might.
Here’s a look at a few ways the Mets might pivot after failing to sign Tucker:
Sign Cody Bellinger
It might seem most logical for the Mets to shift their attention to Cody Bellinger, the best remaining free-agent outfielder. Bellinger may not be the MVP-caliber slugger that he once was, but he’s proven to be a consistently above-average player: Last season, he posted a 125 OPS+ that was tied with All-Stars like Will Smith and Julio Rodríguez for 40th among qualified hitters, and he actually accumulated more fWAR (4.9) than Tucker (4.5). Not to mention, Bellinger’s best asset might be his defense, which would help the Mets improve their run prevention, a point of emphasis made by Stearns throughout the offseason. Bellinger is capable of playing all three outfield positions and ranked in the 91st percentile of MLB with a +9 fielding run value last season. He's also started 274 career games at first base, where the Mets could use another fail-safe.
Of course, much like signing Tucker, landing Bellinger is easier said than done. The Yankees are pursuing a reunion and, just earlier this week, they enhanced their offer to try and bridge a gap in contract negotiations. Bellinger’s camp is said to be seeking a seven-year deal, and it’s unclear if the Mets would be willing to meet those terms: Bellinger turns 31 in July and many of the Mets reported contract offers to other free agents, Tucker including, have been short-term deals. New York could also face competition from the Giants, another potential landing spot if Bellinger doesn’t re-sign with the Yankees. The Blue Jays might also be in the mix, since they heavily pursued Tucker and have a need in the outfield.
Bring back Harrison Bader
If the Mets fail to sign Bellinger, the fallback options on the free-agent market are less clear, and potentially less impactful, too. Among them, a reunion with Harrison Bader might make the most sense.
Two offseason ago -- in one of Stearns’ early moves in his tenure as the team’s president of baseball operations -- the Mets signed Bader to a one-year, $10.5 million deal to be their everyday center fielder. Though Bader provided elite defense and developed a knack for clutch hits, he ended up posting an 86 OPS+ in 143 games, losing a good chunk of his playing time to Tyrone Taylor.
This go-around, Bader seems likely to command a multi-year contract, on the heels of one of his best all-around seasons. He posted a career-best 117 OPS+ with a career-high 17 home runs in 146 games for the Twins and the Phillies, staying healthy for the second consecutive season. The Mets witnessed Bader’s resurgence first-hand: He tormented his former team, hitting .528 (19-for-36) across nine games against the Mets. The 31-year-old would also provide a defensive upgrade: Last season, Bader ranked in the 92nd percentile of MLB with +9 outs above average, while his sprint speed of 28.8 ft/sec graded out in the 85th percentile.
Swing a trade for an outfielder
The Mets have already made a few meaningful trades this offseason, sending Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers and Jeff McNeil to the Athletics in separate deals. Might they dip back into the trade market to replenish their outfield depth?
Earlier this offseason, The Athletic (subscription required) reported that the Mets were interested in Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar. Though the 28-year-old is coming off a down season, he owns a career 109 OPS+ and is capable of playing all three outfield positions.
The Mets also engaged in talks with the White Sox for Luis Robert Jr. at last year's Trade Deadline, ultimately balking at Chicago's asking price. Speculatively, perhaps they could reignite those discussions. Robert, 28, isn't flawless. He's dealt with injuries in each of the past two seasons while hitting just .223 with an 85 OPS+ in that span. But he is a five-tool player who recorded 90th percentile sprint speed, 92nd percentile bat speed, and 93rd percentile outs above average last season.
Then there's the Red Sox, who have a glut of outfielders and have gauged the idea of trading Jarren Duran, in particular, since the Deadline. Duran took a step backwards at the plate and in the field in 2025, but he's only two years removed from earning down-ballot MVP votes and tallying 6.8 fWAR in 2024. He's under club control through the 2028 season.
Stick with the current options and focus on pitching
Yes, the Mets have a glaring need in the outfield. With just four outfielders on the 40-man roster, it sure seems like they'll need to acquire some reinforcements from outside the organization. At the same time, the Tucker fallout may allow the club to give more of an extended runway to some of its top prospects.
That includes outfielder Carson Benge -- the organization's No. 2 prospect, No. 21 overall per MLB Pipeline. Benge, a first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, traversed three levels of the Minors last season and finished the year at Triple-A. It sure seems like he'll make his MLB debut at some point in 2026, his age-23 season. Stearns has stressed that the organization wants to make sure that younger players have the opportunity to make an impact at the Major League level. Beyond Benge, that could also include Jett Williams (the organization's No. 3 prospect, No. 30 overall) and AJ Ewing (the organization's No. 7 prospect), each with outfield experience.
In this scenario, if the Mets fail to sign both Tucker and Bellinger, they’d certainly have plenty of money to repurpose elsewhere. Perhaps that comes in the form of a starting pitcher.
The Mets are one of three teams reported to have met with free-agent left-hander Framber Valdez, a legitimate frontline starter with a career 3.36 ERA. Since 2021, Valdez has thrown more innings (902 1/3) than all but four starting pitchers while tallying the ninth-most fWAR (18.3) among that group. Valdez would add needed stability to a rotation that became New York’s biggest weakness in the pennant race last summer.
On the trade market, the Mets have been linked to Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, who will be a free agent after the 2026 season; Peralta's 2.70 ERA was seventh best among qualified starting pitchers in 2025. The Nationals are likewise listening on left-hander MacKenzie Gore, but controllable starting pitchers have proven to demand a large prospect haul this offseason, and Gore won't reach free agency until 2028. The elephant in the room is Tarik Skubal, though it's still a longshot that the Tigers trade the game's best pitcher, even as the two sides are bracing for an arbitration hearing.