5 NY Mets players who definitely won't be back next season

What's a New York Mets season without a bitter ending? It's been 39 consecutive seasons where we walk away with our heads hung. It may be sad, but at least it's familiar. Cheer up, Mets fans, we've been here before, again and again... and again.

And again.

But on the same token, experience doesn't erase the pain. And, if 30-year-old me time-traveled to 2008, and told 13-year-old-me that we just blew a historic lead, concluding with a lifeless defeat at the hands of the Marlins... I think 13-year-old-me would ask 30-year-old-me, "Why are you still doing this to us?"

Regardless, we now regroup and look at the collapse that was the 2025 New York Mets' season. How can the roster be improved? How can this kind of thing be prevented next year? Well, it all starts with trimming the fat. There will be some hard decisions, but there will also be some easy decisions – and those will be made first. This list is all of those easy decisions. Here are the guys you absolutely will not see in blue and orange in 2026.

1. Jesse Winker

This will be a sentimental loss for Mets fans. Jesse Winker is what he is. He's not a high-end talent who will be slotted in for 140+ games in a season. But, he's a consistently reliable bat to put out as a DH against lefties, something that's easy to take for granted. He's also a legendary off-the-field soft-skills guy who went from enemy number one in Queens as a Mets opponent to essentially a beloved team mascot upon his arrival last season.

Indeed, few have had the relationship that Winker has garnered with the Citi Field faithful. After developing an extensive resume of playfully prodding Mets fans, Winker came to town just in time for the Cinderella story last year. Aside from becoming a fan-favorite and clubhouse leader, he provided a needed spark by putting up 13 RBI's on a .243 batting average in 44 games, with myriad clutch hits along the way.

This season has been quite the departure. When he wasn't injured, he was rehabbing. When he wasn't rehabbing, he was battling back from injury in limited reps. When he wasn't battling back from injury in limited reps, he wasn't exactly hitting, finishing 2025 with a .229 batting average and just one long-ball in 81 plate appearances. With his contract coming due and not much production out of him this season, I don't expect him to factor into the DH plans next season. This would mean goodbye for our folk hero, Mr. Winker.