One Of Baseball's Biggest Teams Doesn't Seem To Have A Plan

One of Major League Baseball's biggest teams has had a pretty rough offseason thus far. 

It's easy to say that money "buys" championships, but the New York Mets are proof positive that it's not that easy. Despite one of the largest payrolls in the history of baseball, the Mets missed the playoffs in 2023 and 2025, and were bounced by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 NLCS.

For well more than a billion dollars in payroll, they've won just two postseason series over the last three years. They signed Juan Soto to the biggest contract in baseball history and arguably the largest in professional sports history. That didn't help. This offseason marked a massive turning point for New York. 

The Mets had to decide whether to keep spending money to add to their existing core. Key contributors like Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz were reaching free agency. Get into the trade market to find more complimentary pieces. 

Instead, with 2026 rapidly approaching, the Mets' decision-making has been, well, bizarre to say the least. And it's worth wondering if one of baseball's richest organizations knows what its doing.

Edwin Diaz of the New York Mets. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Mets Have Huge Holes To Fill Somehow

They let Alonso walk to the Baltimore Orioles, reportedly never even sending him a formal contract offer. They didn't tell Edwin Diaz of their interest in reliever Devin Williams, leading to hurt feelings and his departure for Los Angeles. They traded Brandon Nimmo, a Mets stalwart, to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien.

Tyler Rogers, who'd come over in a push to help the bullpen in 2025, signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ryan Helsley also signed with the Orioles. Then, to make things even weirder, they signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year contract. How do all these pieces fit together? The answer is that nobody can quite figure it out. 

The Mets suddenly have Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Jeff McNeil as infield options. None of whom primarily play first base. There's like, three different second basemen, two third basemen, and no first baseman. Their outfield isn't looking much better. 

Juan Soto is one of the best three-hitters on earth, but he's among the worst defensive players on earth too. Then there's Tyrone Taylor, Jared Young and Ji Hwan Bae. If you're unimpressed with those names, so is everyone else. They don't have a clear designated hitter, with Soto reportedly disliking that as an option. 

The bullpen needs a ton of help after all the departures. Williams will be the closer, and new signing Luke Weaver primarily the setup man. But Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazoban and others aren't exactly terrifying. The rotation has youth, and potential, but also carries significant risk. 

What's the plan here? 

The Mets have money, and they could simply sign Kyle Tucker to salvage the offseason. Or if Tarik Skubal is really available, the Mets have the prospect capital to trade for him. But it doesn't seem like the roster is well-constructed, as is, and the rumor mill doesn't suggest they're going to be active. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns, for example, said that while they have plenty of money, it's not unlimited, nor should it be. 

Just a few years ago, it seemed like the Mets were ready to take the baseball world by storm. They had money, they had a new, highly successful front office, and they had star power. Now? It seems a little bit like the train is off the rails. Money can't buy everything.