Mets 2024 Free Agents, Trade Targets and Offseason Guide After MLB Playoff Exit

Mets 2024 Free Agents, Trade Targets and Offseason Guide After MLB Playoff Exit0 of 6

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By any measure, the New York Mets just wrapped up a successful 2024 season.

They were two games away from making it to the World Series for an epic crosstown showdown for the game’s biggest prize.

How Pete Alonso performed in what could be his final run with the Mets was impressive. The way Francisco Lindor stepped up as a leader down the stretch was commendable.

As a team, how they seemed to continue to rally was an inspiring and compelling postseason story.

Now that it’s over, it’s time to focus on the Mets’ offseason. It should certainly be an eventful one. There’s a lot of money coming off the books and some notable players are expected to be on the market.

Here, we’ll go through their free agents, trade targets and an offseason guide following the Mets’ playoff exit.

Season in Review1 of 6

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The Mets came a long way from expensive underachiever to National League finalist.

Despite having the highest payroll in baseball, the Mets looked like an average team looking up at Atlanta and the Philadelphia Phillies going into the season.

There weren’t significant upgrades to a roster that went 75-87 in 2023 and their starting rotation had big question marks.

It turns out they were a talented enough hitting team to survive mediocre pitching.

The Mets finished the regular season ranked sixth in home runs, seventh in runs scored and wRC+, and ninth in OPS. This mitigated the fact they were 17th in FIP and 18th in xFIP.

New York’s starters ranked 20th in FIP and 22nd in xFIP, while its relievers fared much better, ranking 12th in FIP and fifth in xFIP.

The Mets were 24-30 after May, which included a rough 9-19 stretch that month. They went 65-40 over the next four months to end the regular season and rode that momentum to Game 6 of the NLCS.

They were down to their last out in the wild-card round against the Milwaukee Brewers when Alonso took closer Devin Williams deep in the ninth. Then, they took the Phillies down in four games rather handily before meeting their demise vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers in the championship series.

Now, they have nearly $200 million coming off their payroll, and their owner, Steve Cohen, is able and more than willing to spend. So what’s ahead?

What Needs to Improve2 of 6

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While the Mets’ pitching was not nearly the disaster it had the potential to be, they still need to improve in this area.

Beyond being mediocre in FIP and xFIP—with their starters ranking toward the bottom of the league in these areas—the Mets were awful with giving away free passes.

The Mets gave up the third-most walks per nine innings. Jose Quintana, a free agent this winter, was the main culprit. He had the 10th-most walks per nine innings while teammate Sean Manea, who has a player option, was not too far behind him ranked 14th.

Defensively, the Mets were also mediocre in 2024. They ranked 14th in outs above average and their weakest defensive position was third base, where they ranked 19th, but that could be excused with the emergence of Mark Vientos.

More than $176 million in payroll is coming off the books for the Mets, so they will have plenty of money to work with.

How they allocate these resources, from their starting rotation to the key spots of center field and first base, will be paramount to the Mets’ improvement.

Players Likely to Leave in Free Agency3 of 6

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Pete Alonso headlines the Mets’ free agent class this year. There’s still the chance Alonso returns, but New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman is already linking him to the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs.

Jose Quintana is their most notable free-agent pitcher. Sean Manaea has a $13.5 million player option that will likely be declined. Luis Severino’s deal is also coming off the books. He’d signed a one-year, $13 million contract last offseason.

How the Mets address these spots in their rotation will be the biggest key to their ceiling in 2025. They are also likely to lose designated hitter JD Martinez ($12 million) and outfielders Harrison Bader ($10.5 million) and Jesse Winker ($2 million).

I expect all of these players to be gone in 2025.

The interesting question is what approach the President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns, will take. With the Milwaukee Brewers, he’s shown his ability to maximize a smaller budget.

What will he do with Steve Cohen’s resources at his disposal?

Trade Targets4 of 6

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The Mets’ offseason needs are crystal clear: Upgrade the rotation, add at least one outfielder, and obviously, first base will be a massive issue if Alonso leaves in free agency.

So their potential trade targets are going to play a big role in the offseason strategy. The heavy free agent spending that led to the failed Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer signings could be a cautionary tale.

In this case, Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet makes sense for the Mets. Crochet has two more years left of team control, justifying what would likely be a high cost for Mets prospects. But they would be acquiring one of the top-five left-handed pitchers in the game, perhaps upgrading from Manaea if he leaves in free agency.

The Mets could also target mid-tier starters like Tyler Anderson, Erick Fedde, Jameson Taillon, or a Chris Bassitt reunion if they don’t land an ace.

If we’re dumpster diving the White Sox roster, Luis Robert Jr. would address the Mets’ outfield needs. The biggest knock on Robert is his ability to stay healthy, but the Mets will be searching for power with Alonso’s potential departure.

They could take big swings at Brent Rooker or go the less expensive route with Taylor Ward, Yandy Diaz, or Mike Yastrzemski.

Free Agent Targets5 of 6

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Juan Soto

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to imagine Soto skipping over to the crosstown rival after playing such a pivotal role in getting the New York Yankees to the World Series.

Yet money still talks, and the Mets still have a lot of it. Soto’s new deal is expected to be around $600 million, per Heyman.

ESPN’s Buster Olney predicted on the Baseball Tonight podcast that Soto will land with the Mets, regardless if the Yankees win, citing the enthusiasm from Mets owner Steve Cohen. Olney accurately points out that signing Soto would be the ultimate way to feed that enthusiasm, calling it “a blank check situation.”

Corbin Burnes

The Mets will certainly show interest in Burnes, widely considered the best pitcher on the free-agent market.

MLB.com Orioles beat reporter Jake Rill predicted Burnes would land with the Mets. Meanwhile, Mets beat reporter Anthony DiComo predicted a return to the Orioles.

It shows how competitive this could be, and if it comes down to a bidding war, the Mets have to like their chances.

This would differ from signing an aging Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander, potentially acquiring a 29-year-old former Cy Young winner in his prime in Burnes.

Blake Snell

It’s a similar logic with Burnes, but think of Snell as more of a backup plan. As B/R colleague Zachary D. Rymer points out, the Mets have never been at the forefront of Snell’s sweepstakes, either in free agency or via trade.

But he is available and would be useful to the starting pitching needy Mets, who at least checked in with the Giants about Snell ahead of the deadline.

There was no traction with the Giants reportedly looking for top prospects in return for the rental, but this round of free agency presents a different conversation.

Offseason Prediction6 of 6

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The Mets swing and miss after going all in for Soto, who heads back to the Bronx for that $600 million figure.

This leaves the Mets with plenty of money to throw at Burnes, who is more than a consolation prize. They also trade for Garrett Crochet, taking advantage of the depreciating asset on Chicago’s South Side.

Since they whiff on the Soto signing, the Mets end up trading for slugger Brent Rooker from the Athletics.

Cody Bellinger would be a logical contingency plan for Soto if he were to opt out of $27.5 million with the Chicago Cubs, but that seems unlikely.

Rooker, 29, emerged as an All-Star for the A’s when he hit 30 homes in 2023, followed up with 39 homers in 2024. Rooker has another three seasons of arbitration, so trading for him would come at a high price, but one worth paying without being able to land Soto.