The New York Mets are looking to build on their run to the National League Championship Series from this past season with even more success in 2025.
Adding some new faces could go a long way toward that goal, particularly the likes of superstar slugger Juan Soto and veteran pitchers like Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas. But the Mets have also agreed to a return for one of their most productive players from 2024, starter Sean Manaea, who can look to lead a playoff rotation once again in 2025.
After agreeing to return to the Mets on a three-year, $75 million deal, Manaea’s new contract might mean the team has to move on from some other familiar faces. Projecting the three “Mets who won’t be back after Sean Manaea agrees to re-sign” for FanSided, Zachary Rotman predicted the team would “pursue an upgrade over J.D. Martinez.”
“For a large portion of the 2024 campaign, it felt as if J.D. Martinez was going to spend more than one year with the Mets,” Rotman wrote. “Unfortunately, he struggled to produce offensively as the season progressed… The Mets can and should look to upgrade.”
Going into last offseason, Martinez was a six-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner who had just come off a 2023 campaign with 33 home runs for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But after joining the Mets with a one-year, $12 million contract, his offensive production waned.
He ended up slashing .235/.320/.406 in 434 at bats with the Mets exclusively from the designated hitter spot and the team will want to upgrade that position with some more upside. That might mean reuniting with Jesse Winker, who joined the Mets at the mid-season trade deadline in 2024 as Martinez’ slump persisted.
“His struggles led to Jesse Winker receiving most of the work as the team’s DH by the time October arrived,” Rotman added. “Whether it’s reuniting with Winker or finding the solution on the trade market, it became abundantly clear that the 37-year-old’s best days are well behind him.”
As the Mets look to build on their success from last season, it seems they will try to re-sign some important pieces from 2024 but also upgrade where they can. It’s yet to be seen what that might mean for homegrown slugger Pete Alonso.
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