We open up the Mets Mailbag to look at some big-picture questions about the team for the rest of the 2026 season and beyond...
Do you think Ronny Mauricio will be traded in the offseason? He’s been tearing the cover off the ball in AAA and is still down there. If not now, when else would we call him up? -- @bowe_patrick
I would not be surprised if the Mets trade Mauricio in the offseason. I though it was possible they would trade him last offseason, or even last week at the deadline. I know people in other front offices have spoken to the Mets about him over the last calendar year, but obviously, those conversations did not yield anything. What is not clear is whether Mauricio is still a Met because teams’ interest is tepid or because David Stearns is so reluctant to give up on young players. I have not gotten a clear sense of which is keeping him here, though I would bet it is a combination of both.
That said, circumstances are changing in 2027: The Mets’ consistent rationale for keeping Mauricio in Triple-A has been that he needs to play every day. When he plays every day in Triple-A, he hits like crazy. When he has played in the majors, his tendency to chase has made his power harder to access consistently. If the Mets plan to contend next year, they likely will not be able to give him time to fix that issue in the big leagues. And if they do not have room for him on the major league roster next year, they will have to designate him for assignment and subject him to waivers – a process that often facilitates trades.
Now, if the Mets decide they want to get Mauricio time at second base instead of an aging Marcus Semien – or if, and this is and has always been a huge if, they decide to trade Francisco Lindor --- maybe the equation changes for Mauricio. But right now, I do not see a clear place for him to play regularly in the Mets’ 2026 or 2027 infield. If the Mets front office doesn’t see one, either, a trade seems totally possible.
Is Jared Young the first baseman for the Mets in 2027? -- @cschil76
As of this exact moment, I would say that Jared Young is a first baseman for the Mets in 2027, but probably not the starting first baseman. I think on a well-constructed, competitive roster, Young is a productive and reliable left-handed bat off the bench who can platoon regularly against righties if needed and help in the corner outfield spots. Had Jorge Polanco been healthy this year, that is probably what he would have been for this roster, too.
Plus, first base is one of the only places the Mets – who need to upgrade offensively next year – can actually do that. Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing have cemented themselves in the outfield of the future alongside Juan Soto. If Bo Bichette opts in, and Lindor returns, the left side of the infield is set. Semien remains under contract for two more seasons, so a change at second base would require a difficult decision – which does not mean it cannot happen.
Polanco needs to play somewhere, if he is able, though I do not think the Mets should count on him filling an everyday defensive role. Rotating between designated hitter while spelling others around the infield seems like an ideal role for him -- if he is healthy. If he isn’t, perhaps he has to play first or serve as the regular designated hitter. Either way, the Mets have $20 million committed to him next year, so they will probably find room.
All of which is to say, I don’t see Young starting next season as the everyday first baseman. Then again, I did not see him serving as the everyday first baseman this year, either. In a year of negative surprises, Young has been one of the consistent positives. He will almost certainly be a part of the plan next year in some form.
Do you suspect the Mets might shut down Christian Scott or Zac Thornton in September for innings purposes? -- @pladinosaur
Great question. This is one I’ve been eager to follow down the stretch. If there is any silver lining to the Mets being out of contention early – and after the last week, I am willing to entertain overly optimistic questions about whether they are truly out of contention at all! – it is that they can be careful with the young pitchers around whom their rotation has centered this year.
Whether limiting innings is the right approach is a much larger question, but assuming for the purposes of this conversation it is: Nolan McLean, Scott, and Thornton could all be limited.
McLean is best equipped to finish the season without a limit. He threw just more than 160 total innings between the minors and the majors in 2025 and is currently at 130 innings this season. Assuming he makes seven or eight more starts of five innings each down the stretch, he will finish around or a comfortable jump above last year’s total. But a postseason run might have tested him.
Scott, who is in his first year back from Tommy John surgery, had never thrown more than 87.2 innings in a season before the procedure. He has thrown 88 innings this year, though he has shown no signs of slowing. I am sure the Mets will be careful with him down the stretch, which likely means limiting innings in some form.
Thornton, meanwhile, threw 68 innings in his first minor league season and 72.2 in 2025. This year, he has thrown more than 100 innings between the majors and minors. Though he is less reliant on velocity and therefore not the type of pitcher organizations worry most about blowing out due to innings jumps, he is navigating a major innings jump that includes the highest-stress innings of his career since his debut. The Mets will almost certainly treat him carefully down the stretch, too.
The challenge the Mets face is who will pitch if Scott and/or Thornton needs to limit their workloads down the stretch. If they had the kind of starting pitching depth to spell them, they likely would have used it by now. But Jonah Tong seems likely to get another major league chance this year despite his inconsistencies in Triple-A. Jack Wenninger had a strong start to the season statistically, though his inconsistency since and high walk rate has scared the Mets away from giving him a chance in the majors just yet.
Still, I do not expect the Mets to push limits with Scott or Thornton this year given how crucial they are to the future of the rotation moving forward. The question, given their lack of organizational starting pitching depth, will be how the Mets navigate the final few weeks of the season without relying on them fully.
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