ORLANDO, Fla. – The next time Edwin Diaz pitches at Citi Field, the trumpets will be replaced by a tribute video. The same goes for Brandon Nimmo, whose catchy walk-up song – you know the one – will be superseded by a highlight reel of his best moments in New York.
Is Pete Alonso next to join the growing list of long-tenured Mets deciding to walk away this offseason? In truth, the Mets shouldn’t even be considering it. They should be doing everything in their control to keep Alonso in Queens.
Losing two fan-favorite players is bad. But potentially parting ways with three? All in the same offseason? The Mets would have to execute exceptionally favorable blockbuster deals to even attempt to come back from that.
“I’m very optimistic about where our offseason is headed,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said on Tuesday during MLB’s annual Winter Meetings. “We’ve got, certainly, work to do. But there are a lot of good players out there, and I’m confident that we’re really going to like where our team is once we get to Opening Day.”
Pete Alonso has a choice to make. Stick with the Mets or move on from Queens? (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
After Diaz shockingly swapped his blue and orange threads for the championship-adorned Dodgers uniform on Tuesday, the pressure is mounting for the Mets to re-sign Alonso to a long-term deal. The homegrown Polar Bear is said to be connecting with interested clubs here at the Winter Meetings, and the Mets won’t be one of them. They prefer to give him the space and freedom to see what’s out there before checking back in with him at a later date.
So far, the Mets’ approach to keeping their battle-scarred players in New York has been laced with indifference. Sure, changes were expected after the team missed the playoffs on a $340 million payroll that was designed to be a World Series contender. But unemotionally parting ways with popular players and breaking up the team’s core makes me wonder if Stearns is underestimating the long-term negative impact those moves will have on the overall buy-in from the fan base, as well as the potential ripple effect within the clubhouse.
Nimmo was the team’s longest-tenured player before he indicated he didn’t feel wanted by the Mets when they asked him to waive his no-trade clause. Then he agreed to go to the Texas Rangers in a deal that brought veteran second baseman Marcus Semien to Queens. Though Diaz’s upcoming free agency loomed over his 2025 season, no one really talked about it because it was presumed the Mets would do whatever was needed to keep their seven-year closer in New York.
Something changed. Diaz chose the Dodgers on a reported three-year, $69 million contract – only $3 million more than what the Mets offered him.
Devin Williams’ stint in the Bronx didn’t fare too well. But the Mets are banking on a change of boroughs will help him. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Now, right-hander Devin Williams is slotted to be the Mets closer, a risk in and of itself. He struggled to acclimate to New York’s high-pressure environment in his lone season with the Yankees, which led to his demotion from closer duties. He eventually adjusted, and it showed. Williams ended the 2025 season strong with 13 consecutive scoreless relief appearances, including four shutdown innings in the playoffs for the Yankees, but those all came in setup roles. There’s a ton of upside to Williams’ still-elite stuff, but he’s no Diaz. The Mets’ signing of Williams, at three years and $51 million, would have looked better if he served as the setup man to a high-leverage closer, like Diaz or free-agent reliever Robert Suarez.
It’s fair to wonder if Diaz felt slighted by the Mets’ acquisition of Williams, viewing it as a sign that they did not necessarily need him to return. If so, that’s been somewhat of a trend for the Stearns-era Mets. Last offseason, Alonso expressed frustration at the slow pace of his free agency (the first baseman finally re-signed just before spring training), and the Mets lack of commitment to a long-term deal.
Is Stearns striking the right balance between keeping valuable players and building continuity, versus making sure the Mets have the best team possible?
Marcus Semien gives the Mets a veteran infielder but the departure of Brandon Nimmo leaves question marks in the outfield. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
“That is something broadly that we talk about a lot,” Stearns said. “We have a lot of those conversations. We had them throughout this offseason. We had them throughout last offseason as well when we were faced with some decisions. It is part of it. I’ve said this before: I can’t tell you I know exactly how to weigh that. I think we do our best to weigh the full impact of any player on our team, on our organization, and we make the best decision we can.”
Rather than plugging the holes on their roster, the Mets have so far only created more vacancies. Trading Nimmo to the Rangers created an opening in left field, on top of the one that already existed in center. The bullpen still looks incomplete and in need of at least another high-leverage arm. If the season started today, Mark Vientos would be their first baseman. And, of the utmost importance, the Mets need an ace.
There is plenty of offseason left, but the Mets have so far not addressed the source of the biggest headache of their nightmarish season: the rotation. They used a record number of pitchers in 2025 after sustaining an onslaught of injuries while dealing with unpredictability in the starting staff. Mets starters recorded a 4.13 ERA that ranked 18th in the majors. The unreliable nature of the rotation was a significant reason the Mets missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Mets offense, while frustratingly inconsistent at times, finished the year with the fifth-most home runs (224) and sixth-best OPS (.753) and on-base percentage (.326) in MLB. Alonso’s .272/.347/.524 slashline and 38 home runs were a major component of the team’s offensive success.
Can the pain and frustration of losing Nimmo and Diaz — and maybe even Alonso — be quelled by a flurry of blockbuster deals from now until Opening Day? If the Mets parted ways with all three fan-favorites, but injected players like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger into the outfield, and Framber Valdez or Freddy Peralta into the rotation, would that lessen the sting of losing those long-tenured Mets? Would that close the gap between the almighty powerful Dodgers, who only got stronger by acquiring Diaz? The Mets have to work just to keep up, let alone to fill their roster holes.
Stearns is asking us to trust his plans — less than three months after he took accountability for being the architect of this year’s flawed team. It’s a lot to ask for when the Mets, so far this winter, have seen more of their players walk away from Queens than decide to stay.
Deesha Thosar covers Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
