The Mets’ offseason surely is far from over but we’re at a point now where it’s fair to conclude that David Stearns’ priority this winter was to break up the underachieving core of the ballclub… while presumably reassembling a championship-caliber roster.
You have to say presumably because so far the breaking up has been much more notable than the reassembling.
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At the very least, Stearns, with Steve Cohen’s blessing, is carefully plotting his course, filling needs without making a big-splash move to either upgrade the starting rotation or replace the production of Pete Alonso — and to some degree, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, as well.
Perhaps most significantly, there are indications that Stearns’ commitment to his value-driven philosophy will mean adding more players like Jorge Polanco while waiting for the prices to come down on free agents such as Cody Bellinger and Ranger Suarez or trade targets like Freddy Peralta and Joe Ryan.
Stearns’ patience paid off last year in getting Alonso on his terms. Maybe this winter it will pay off for other big names, but there is also a case to be made — considering the Mets have Cohen’s money and a plethora of a quality trade chips — for identifying the players necessary to win with in 2026 and aggressively pursuing them.
In any case, to this point Stearns has a long way to go in trying to re-assemble that championship roster – and saving himself from a failing offseason grade as well.
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In the meantime, here are my individual grades on Stearns’ moves so far.
BRANDON NIMMO TRADED FOR MARCUS SEMIEN
I give Stearns credit for being willing to break up the core that failed to deliver when it counted most for the last several years, the only exception being 2024. This trade with the Texas Rangers was the first move in that direction. In addition Stearns got out from under an expensive contract that likely wasn’t going to age well, with five years and $102.5 million remaining.
That said, taking on Semien’s three years and $72 million remaining is a major gamble as well. His defense at second base is an upgrade over McNeil but Stearns’ run-prevention philosophy may not be such an easy sell at Citi Field if Semien’s offensive decline of the last two years continues at age 34.
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When this trade was made on November 23, I felt like it would ultimately be judged on how Stearns replaced Nimmo’s offense. So far there is no such replacement.
GRADE: C
Second baseman Marcus Semien (2), then playing for the Texas Rangers, throws to first base during the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
DEVIN WILLIAMS SIGNED, 3 YEARS, $51 MILLION
Much like the Nimmo trade, I felt this signing had to be evaluated by what came next. It had home run potential if paired with the re-signing of Edwin Diaz, but after the Mets either botched the Diaz negotiations or were ok with letting him leave – it’s still hard to be sure about which – it now feels like much more of a gamble.
Williams’ struggles in the Bronx in 2024 seemed very much related to the pressure of being the closer on such a big stage. That he eventually righted himself would seem to be a good sign, but it was also only long after he’d been removed as the Yankees’ closer.
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So it’s fair to wonder how he’ll fare with the expectations of filling Diaz’s shoes as the Mets’ closer. The numbers say his stuff is still elite but scouts who watched him regularly say pressure affected the command of both his fastball and signature change-up.
Bottom line, I can’t put a grade on this signing without factoring in the loss of Diaz.
GRADE: C
JORGE POLANCO SIGNED, 2 YEARS, $40 MILLION
From the Mets’ point of view, Polanco wasn’t signed to replace Alonso, as they apparently will try to win with more of a sum-of-the-parts roster. But let’s be real: if Polanco is the primary first baseman next season, as seems to be the plan, there will no avoiding at least some comparison to his predecessor.
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All the more so if Juan Soto is being pitched around regularly and the Mets are struggling to score runs.
In a vacuum Polanco is a solid signing, coming off a strong age-32 season for the Seattle Mariners in which he slugged .495 and hit 26 home runs, plus two more off Tarik Skubal in the postseason. But he has had a history of inconsistency from year to year, perhaps due somewhat to injuries, and he has no real in-game experience playing first base, even if the Mariners gave him a crash-course at the position last season in case he was needed.
But like most of these moves, I can’t grade this one in a vacuum. Until the Mets add at least one more accomplished hitter after losing Alonso and Nimmo, it’s hard to call this a win.
GRADE: C
Oct 13, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (7) throws to first base for the first out in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game two of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
LUKE WEAVER SIGNED, 2 YEARS, $22 MILLION
This is the one acquisition so far that doesn’t feel connected to anything else the Mets may or may not do. Instead it feels like a good gamble, signing Weaver to be one of the primary set-up men for Williams, knowing it wasn’t so long ago he excelled in the role of closer for the Yankees in 2023.
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The righthander lost his way last season, but many baseball people believe Weaver’s struggles were related to tipping his pitches, which he eventually admitted messed with him mentally. Presumably he’s had time to make corrections, in which case his fastball-change-up combination, similar to Williams’ arsenal, will again be effective.
GRADE: B
JEFF MCNEIL TRADED IN SALARY DUMP
There wasn’t much doubt McNeil would be moved after the departures of Nimmo and Alonso. Whether a break-up of the core proves meaningful remains to be seen but clearly Stearns believed major change was needed, and McNeil’s reported dust-ups with Francisco Lindor may have added to that belief.
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In any case, going into his age-34 season in 2026, McNeil is a long way from the batting champ who hit .326 in 2022, hitting .238 and .243 the last two seasons, so he wasn’t expected to bring back much of a return. In trading him to the Athletics, the Mets got back a lottery ticket of sorts, a 17-year old right-hander, Yordan Rodriguez.
More to the point, the A’s are taking on $10 million of McNeil’s $15.75 salary next season, the last on his four-year contract. The Mets are eating $5.75 million and potentially $2 million more if the A’s don’t’ pick up McNeil’s 2027 club option for another $15.75 million.
McNeil could have had value as a versatile utilityman playing behind Semien next season, so it’s up to Stearns to make better use of the $10 million saved.
GRADE: B
