5 NY Mets offseason twists we shouldn’t completely rule out

5) The Mets trade for two starting pitchers

Throughout the offseason, the Mets seemed to be a team that, at most, would trade for one starting pitcher and sign another. The free agent pool is dry. What if they end up trading for a pair in two separate deals?

This would actually be the most satisfying conclusion for a stacked 2026 Mets roster. None of the remaining starting pitchers in free agency are intriguing enough. Something on the level of unloading a massive amount of prospects for Tarik Skubal or a little less for Freddy Peralta followed by a smaller yet impactful trade for Nick Pivetta would accomplish this. The Mets could even, in theory, send the San Diego Padres a starter of their own, David Peterson making the most sense.

From this scenario, the Mets would still need to subtract one more starter to have room on the staff. That’s a different kind of problem to solve and not so much a twist as it would be a practical solution to an ongoing problem.

This does, of course, subtract a whole lot of the farm system the Mets have built up in recent seasons. It’s probably time to do this. Waiting to unload your best prospects in trades at the deadline is a mistake. More prospects than you can believe are Rule 5 eligible this December (26 for the first time!).

The Mets didn’t sign Jorge Polanco to linger around and maybe be an impactful player on their roster. It’s a part of a process we’re still trying to fully understand.