Perlata arrival wasn't enough. The Mets eyed another starter to solidify the rotation before spring training, potentially securing a key arm.
The excitement for the 2026 season is palpable for New York Mets fans after adding big names in free agency and via roster-shaking trades. There are still a couple of weeks left before spring training starts, however, and there may be a little bit more left in the tank for Mets’ president of baseball operations David Stearns.
Stearns struck a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month to bring right-handed ace Freddy Perlata to Queens in exchange for top prospects, right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams. It was an aggressive move, but a necessary one that addressed the glaring hole on their roster.
Still, the Mets haven’t seen much change to their starting rotation outside of the Perlata addition. Adding a 2.70 ERA guy like Perlata typically would be enough of a rotational addition for one offseason, but it may not be for New York. After all, the rotation’s collapse at the end of the 2025 campaign was the leading factor in the Mets missing out on the postseason.
The recent memory of starters like David Peterson, Sean Manaea, and Kodai Senga has left a bad, untrusting taste in the mouths of Mets fans. Perlata certainly makes that taste more palatable, but there’s still room for another reliable starter in the Mets’ rotation.
Bleacher Report has a potential suitor to be the final big name added for New York this offseason, left-handed starter Kris Bubic. The 28-year-old returned to the Kansas City Royals’ starting rotation last season after a dominant 2024 campaign in relief. In his 20 starts back in the rotation last season, he posted a 2.55 ERA and 2.89 FIP.
It was enough to land Bubic his first All-Star nod and record the highest WAR of his six-year career. He becomes a free agent after 2026, meaning the Mets could make a deal for his arm as a one-year rental or sign him to an extension and keep him in the rotation further into the future.
In Bleacher Report’s hypothetical package, the Mets would send only third baseman Brett Baty. Baty’s place in New York’s lineup has become less important after the signing of Bo Bichette, who will take over teh hot corner next season. Still, Baty is a solid piece for any team hoping to contend in 2026.
At 25-years-old, Baty posted a 111 OPS+ in 130 games last season. If he were to be swapped with Bubic and join the Royals, he could serve as their new second baseman or designated hitter as they look to return to the postseason after missing out in 2025.
Mets fans would seemingly pull teh trigger on a deal that wouldn’t cost them all that much, considering their depth at infield and need for another solidified starter. Such a deal would likely come down to the Royals’ willingness to trade their southpaw starter and whether or not the Mets are satisfied with their several big moves already made this winter.