5 NY Mets predictions for the remainder of the MLB offseason

February 10 - The Mets sign Tyler Kinley to a one-year $2 million deal

The Mets add to their bullpen with a lesser piece, but a guy who seems to fit a familiar billing. For $2 million, they add Tyler Kinley.

His 31.2% whiff rate (which was better than Luke Weaver) and 29.6% hard-hit rate (second among all free agents this offseason) leads to the rationalization for signing the ex-Braves reliever. His 0.72 ERA in Atlanta after some disastrous results with the Colorado Rockies has Kinley featured as a typical Stearns signing on a low-cost contract with some signs of being able to pitch incredibly well.

Unfortunately for the Mets, this is the best they do to add to their bullpen. With three players making over $10 million already, it’s going to be more cost-effective additions like this they target. Shortly before spring training starts, Kinley is brought in alongside a few more minor league additions.

Some conclusions on these predictions

These five moves don’t make the Mets significantly better than they were last year and if you have doubts about the direction of the team, many are confirmed. They’ll approach this offseason more as an in-between with the way they handled 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. This is more of a reset winter while remaining competitive.

The Mets hold onto their most significant prospects and plan for players like Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong to get significant innings if available. Benge, Jett Williams, and maybe even Ryan Clifford end up in the lineup with a role.

The Mets aren’t putting all of the chips into the center of the table this winter with the mindset that they’ll do whatever it takes to win the 2026 World Series. Sustainability and a chance for the kids to contribute is a major goal. These predictions, while lacking flair in some regards, seem to match what the team has set out to do.

Admittedly hopeful for more, these are the kinds of predictions I wouldn’t mind being wrong about as long as the alternatives are better. It’s a hard sell to go from what they had to this plus the moves they already made. There is room for a bigger splash. I'm just not confident we're getting one.