3 players right for the NY Mets if Adam Ottavino’s Freddy Peralta theory is right

When Adam Ottavino talks, he tends to have some proprietary takes. He spoke last offseason about the New York Mets, criticizing ex-manager Carlos Mendoza for pitcher usage among other things.

Ottavino went on the Foul Territory podcast on Tuesday and discussed Freddy Peralta. His belief, beyond the coaching, was how the pressure of New York might have damaged Peralta. Having never represented a team other than the Milwaukee Brewers in the majors previously, going from the friendly confines of the Midwest to the Big Apple is big.

If New York really is that much of an issue for some players, the Mets will need to keep this in mind during the offseason. These free agents, having already played in major markets, might make too much sense.

Three Mets free agent targets who won’t have a problem in a big market

1) Paul Goldschmidt

In year two with the New York Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt might actually be one of the most realistic free agent options for the Mets. They need a right-handed hitter for first base. Why not him, a guy with a .997 OPS at the start of the day on Tuesday against left-handed pitchers?

Goldschmidt was a known offseason target for the Mets in their pursuit of replacing Pete Alonso. He ended up back with the Yankees quietly nearly doubling his home run total from last year. He can play defense, too. Coming from the Arizona Diamondbacks and later St. Louis Cardinals, Goldschmidt never became one of those guys who couldn’t handle New York.

2) Michael King

Michael King is another guy the Mets have been connected to before. Although buried in the Yankees bullpen during his time in New York, it’s not as if he has been able to completely hide with the San Diego Padres. The chill vibes around Southern California don’t quite compare and yet the pressure of a franchise that has never won a championship is real.

King has a $28 million player option for the 2027 season. Although not officially a free agent yet, he feels like one of the better alternatives to Tarik Skubal, a guy dipping his feet in the water as a big market pitcher to end the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. King is 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA on the season. The strikeouts are way down at 7.7 K/9. However, the run prevention is exactly where the Mets or anyone else would like it to be.

3) Clay Holmes

Experienced with the Yankees, Mets, and now the Chicago Cubs, Clay Holmes doesn’t shrink in a big market. He pitched well at each stop. A reunion with him in the offseason is something we still need to consider.

A 3.26 ERA in his one and a half years with the Mets, Holmes has gotten knocked around a couple of times since getting traded to the Cubs. That shouldn’t change how the Mets feel about him. He handled himself well in New York before and hasn’t been a disaster with Chicago. The biggest downside to bringing him back is it seems a little too much like doing the same thing over again. Change, for the 2027 Mets, isn’t a bad thing.

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