Talk about changing the narrative: With three major moves in a period of six days, David Stearns turned the Mets’ offseason around in dramatic fashion and restored the faith that fans seemingly had lost in him for much of the long baseball winter.
In acquiring Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta, Stearns filled important needs, added some star power, and finally gave fans a reason to re-channel the emotions they’d been voicing since the departures of Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil.
In doing so, Stearns also changed his offseason grade in a major way.
I’m not giving him a final grade just yet, however, in case he has any surprises planned in the next few weeks. For the moment, I’m simply updating the individual grades again, as we keep a running tally of the moves the Mets make this winter.
The grades:
FREDDY PERALTA ACQUIRED IN TRADE
In the deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, Stearns paid a high price for only one guaranteed season of Peralta, who can be a free agent after the season. The Mets gave up two of their top prospects: right-hander Brandon Sproat and middle infielder Jett Williams.
That said, it was a move Stearns had to make for the Mets to have championship aspirations in 2026, getting a No. 1-type starter to anchor a rotation that goes into a new season filled with questions about Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson.
Peralta’s presence also takes some pressure off Nolan McLean to take his stunning late-season success and carry it into 2026 with the pressure of filling the need for an ace.
Peralta may not be the definition of an ace, largely because he averaged only 5.1 innings per start last season, but he pitched with dominance, as indicated by his 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts in 176.2 innings. And at 29, turning 30 in June, he should still be in his prime.
In addition, the Mets did well to give up Sproat rather than Jonah Tong, whom the Brewers first asked for, and the Mets had built up their farm system to be able to make a trade like this and still have prospect depth.
Finally, getting right-hander Tobias Myers in addition to Peralta was significant, as the Mets believe Myers can be an important multi-inning reliever or even spot starter for them.
GRADE: A
LUIS ROBERT JR. ACQUIRED IN TRADE
The beauty of this deal from a Mets’ perspective is that it’s low-risk, high-reward, a gamble on Robert’s upside that’s worth taking largely because Steve Cohen can take on the center fielder’s $20 million salary for 2026 without flinching.
Whether the gamble pays off is anybody’s guess, however, after two seasons marked by underperformance and injuries. The Mets are hoping Robert finds the form that made him an All-Star in 2023, when he hit 38 home runs and put up an .857 OPS, and they believe a change of scenery -- from the drudgery of playing for the Chicago White Sox to a chance to play high-stakes games in New York -- will benefit him in a big way.
At worst, the Mets know they’re getting a premium defensive center fielder they have control over for two seasons, if they choose to pick up another $20 million option for 2027.
To get Robert, the Mets gave up Luisangel Acuña, a talented middle infielder, in part because there’s no place for him to play in Queens. They also gave up low-minors pitcher Truman Pauley.
GRADE: B+
BO BICHETTE SIGNED: 3 YEARS, $126 MILLION
For starters, it was impressive that Stearns had laid the groundwork for a Bichette deal so that he was able to pivot and sign the former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop within 12 hours or so of losing out on Kyle Tucker.
Bichette’s numbers as a high-average hitter with considerable pop speak for themselves, but perhaps most notable is that he has been one of the best clutch hitters in baseball throughout his career. He led the majors in hits with runners in scoring position last season, hitting .381 in those spots, and his career average with RISP is .330 with a .904 OPS.
Scouts say he excels in the clutch in part because he’s a smart hitter who makes adjustments with runners on base, recognizing how pitchers are trying to get him out, and oozes confidence in a way that some say is reminiscent of Derek Jeter.
"As the son of a big leaguer (Dante Bichette) he just seems comfortable in any situation," said one scout. "In big spots he trusts his ability and keeps it simple, like Jeter did. He’s just a really tough out when it counts most."
As such, Bichette, who may still be ascending at age 28 (come March), figures to be the guy to hit behind Juan Soto, dangerous enough that pitchers won’t pitch around Soto constantly. Also, as a right-handed hitter he gives the Mets’ lineup some needed balance, essentially replacing Alonso in that sense anyway.
He needs to prove he can play third base, but shortstops usually can make that move without great difficulty. Bichette’s range, which ranked worst among shortstops last season, shouldn’t be as much of an issue at third, but it’s something to watch.
GRADE: A
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.
When this trade was made on Nov. 23, I felt like it would ultimately be judged on how Stearns replaced Nimmo’s offense. So far there are still questions about how the Mets will do that, with left field likely to be filled by some combination of Tyrone Taylor, perhaps Brett Baty, and rookie Carson Benge -- who will be given the chance to win the spot out of spring training.
GRADE: C
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.
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 changeup.
GRADE: C
JORGE POLANCO SIGNED: 2 YEARS, $40 MILLION
In a sense, the Bichette signing also impacts the Polanco deal, no longer making him the most significant offseason acquisition with the expectation of replacing Alonso’s offense, even if he is expected to be the Mets’ primary first baseman.
As such, I changed the grade on this move.
As a complement to Bichette, Polanco is a solid signing, coming off a strong age-31 season for the Seattle Mariners in which he slugged .495 and hit 26 home runs, plus two more off Tarik Skubal in the postseason. And, like Bichette, he has been a very good clutch hitter, hitting .337 with runners in scoring position last year, and .400 w/RISP and two outs — as well as a .306 career hitter with RISP.
Of course, he also has 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.
Bottom line: the Mets needed another accomplished hitter to ensure Polanco alone wasn’t expected to make up for the absence of Alonso in the lineup. Now they have one.
GRADE: Adjusted from C to B
LUKE WEAVER SIGNED: 2 YEARS, $22 MILLION
This is the one acquisition so far that didn'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 setup men for Williams, knowing it wasn’t so long ago he excelled in the role of closer for the Yanks in 2023.
The right-hander 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-changeup 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 breakup 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.
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: 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 this 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 for 2027.
With the addition of Bichette, Baty now figures to fill the utility role that otherwise might have been handled by McNeil had he stayed.
GRADE: B
