Mets target top remaining free agent starter. A splash signing could rescue their quiet offseason and push them back into playoff contention.
The New York Mets have been surprisingly quiet this offseason regarding bringing in pitching help after a season in which the starting rotation collapsed in the final months of the season, ultimately leading to them dropping out of a postseason spot.
They did sign reliever Devin Williams to a three-year $51 million contract in early December as insurance in the case that closer Edwin Diaz walked in free agency, which he did, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York also brought in reliever Luke Weaver on a two-year, $22 million deal to add some bullpen depth.
Both of these signings are great and will greatly help out the bullpen in 2026, but the lack of additions to the starting rotation has been alarming for Mets fans thus far. As of now, the Mets' rotation would be rookie right-hander Nolan McLean, left-hander David Peterson, Left-hander Sean Manaea, right-hander Kodai Senga, and right-hander Clay Holmes.
It’s a solid five, but it isn’t different enough from last season. McLean is the only addition to the staff after dominating in his eight-game stint in the majors last season. Suddenly, he’s possibly the Opening Day starter for New York.
The rest of the rotation consists of proven names, but Peterson, Manaea, and Senga all struggled mightily at the end of the 2025 campaign. It would be too wishful thinking to assume all three would return to their first-half levels. For a Mets team that’s desperate to return to the postseason, they need to make a splash and bring in a top starter this offseason.
In a recent article projecting each MLB team’s starting rotation in 2026, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter projected free agent left-handed Framber Valdez to lead the Mets' rotation next spring.
“A year after using 17 different starting pitchers and finishing 18th in the majors with a 4.13 ERA from the starting staff, the Mets have yet to add a single starter to their 40-man roster, assuming Luke Weaver is going to remain in the bullpen,” Reuter wrote.
Bringing in Valdez would more than make up for the quietness in New York this far into the offseason. Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA in 2025, which was actually a slight disappointment. Just the season before, the 32-year-old finished with a sub-3.00 ERA and received Cy Young and MVP votes.
He’s a proven starter who’s earned 68 wins for the Houston Astros over the last five seasons. Though he has shown some struggle in the postseason, he was excellent for the Astros in their World Series-winning 2022 season, in which he recorded a 1.44 ERA over four starts.
The Mets desperately could use a rock steady starter who has proven playoff experience, but it would take a big financial commitment to do so. With a market value of over $33 million per year, it would require New York to go all in on the two-time All-Star. Owner Steve Cohen certainly has the money to do so; it’s just a matter of whether he feels it’s right.