2026 was undoubtedly a massive disappointment for the Mets. They came in with championship aspirations and a huge payroll. They quickly fell out of contention and were sellers at the deadline. There are reasons for hope about the future, however. The club played fairly well in the second half, there is an emerging young core in place, and the front office should have lots of payroll space to work with this winter.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Juan Soto, OF: $596.25MM through 2039 (can opt out after 2029 but Mets can negate opt-out with salary increase)
- Francisco Lindor, SS: $160MM through 2031 ($5MM deferred annually)
- Bo Bichette, IF: $84MM through 2028 (Bichette can opt out after 2026 or 2027, taking $5MM buyout)
- Marcus Semien, IF: $46MM through 2028
- Devin Williams, RHP: $30MM through 2028 ($5MM deferred annually)
- Sean Manaea, LHP: $25MM through 2027 ($7.75MM deferred)
- Jorge Polanco, IF: $20MM through 2027
- Kodai Senga, RHP: $14MM through 2027 (includes 2028 club option conditional on elbow injury)
- Luis Torrens, C: $9.5MM through 2028 (excluding $2MM signing bonus)
Option Decisions
- IF Bo Bichette can opt out of remaining two years and $84MM, taking $5MM buyout. Bichette can also opt out after 2027.
Additional Commitments
- Owe $6MM to Pirates as part of trade of RHP Luke Weaver
- Owe $2MM to Athletics for buyout on club option for IF/OF Jeff McNeil
2027 financial commitments: $229.25MM
Total future commitments: $992.75MM
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries to be added later)
Non-tender candidates: Pérez, Morel, Vientos, Pache
Free Agents
There’s no sugarcoating the letdown of this year. The Mets opened the season with the highest payroll in the league. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Mets had a cash payroll of $355MM on Opening Day, almost $40MM north of the Dodgers. The goal was to win it all but they didn’t even sniff contention in the final months of the season.
But some good things did happen. Carson Benge had a great rookie year, a 20/20 season. A.J. Ewing’s offense was more questionable but he seems to have a decent floor as a speed-and-defense center fielder. On the pitching side, Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton also had good rookie seasons while Christian Scott’s return from Tommy John surgery went very well.
Thanks to the emergence of those young players and some decent finishes from the more veteran players, the Mets ended their terrible season with a smidge of positive momentum. They went 34-31 in the second half. The midseason managerial change from Carlos Mendoza to Andy Green seemed to go well. All reports indicate that Green was well-liked in the clubhouse and the Mets signed him to a three-year extension to keep him around beyond this year.
Going into 2027, there is certainly work for the front office to do but some things are already in place. The outfield feels fairly set. Ewing had subpar offense this year but his speed and defense helped him produce two wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs. Benge is now locked into right field and Juan Soto in left. Soto isn’t a great fielder and missed a lot of time with calf issues this year, so perhaps he will spend a lot of time in the designated hitter spot, but the Mets also have other veterans who will need DH time.
The infield is less settled. Francisco Lindor is the projected shortstop but he is about to turn 33 years old and his defensive metrics aren’t as strong as they used to be. Jefferson Rojas is a top 100 prospect and knocking on the door. Third baseman Bo Bichette can opt out of his deal and return to free agency. Marcus Semien, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Jorge Polanco all had poor seasons, leaving second and first base up in the air.
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