5 World Series participants the NY Mets should be chasing once offseason begins

The 2026 MLB World Series couldn’t have been more ironic with an upcoming CBA negotiation with a heavy focus being on the idea of a salary cap and/or floor. The Milwaukee Brewers vs. the Tampa Bay Rays isn’t exactly a wallet measuring contest. Two bottom half payrolls this past season, they didn’t try buying their way to a championship like the New York Mets have been doing.

Financial decisions involving some key contracts will have these two clubs weighing who they might need to trade to stay on budget. Neither have a whole lot of truly intriguing free agents although one made the cut.

Meanwhile, some team options will be at play as the Rays need to decide where to cut some of the meat off of the payroll. Both teams have players worth poaching.

These five players we’ll see in the 2026 World Series are worth some pursuit by the Mets

Yandy Diaz

Yandy Diaz is both perfect for the Mets and not the greatest match. He’s less of a first baseman and more of a DH-exclusive player. It’s hard to imagine how they could possibly make room for him on a roster probably stuck with hoping for the best out of Jorge Polanco. A unique player who’ll do a lot of things well, he’s a lifetime .291/.370/.442 hitter averaging 22.9 home runs and 86 RBI per 162 games over the last four seasons. A batting title in 2023 and a league-high 180 hits this past year, he has a favorable $12 million team option hanging over his head for 2027. Rich for the Rays’ blood yet not so inexpensive, Diaz already being 35-years-old could be one reason why the Rays consider trading him now rather than letting him simmer out as he ages.

Verdict: Too complicated to make it work without eating a lot of money.

Drew Rasmussen

The Rays have Drew Rasmussen on an $8 million option for 2027 which they’re sure to pick up. Could they do what they tend to and sell him on a high? He’s coming off of his best big league season and second-straight All-Star campaign. The Rays are a team that operates in a “get rid of him a year early rather than a year later” mentality. They could get close to a king’s ransom in return for such an affordable pitcher. If Freddy Peralta cost the Mets two top prospects at the same salary, expect Rasmussen to have a very similar price tag. Jefferson Rojas and Jonah Tong might be the minimum the Mets would need to surrender.

Verdict: Too expensive for what the Rays should demand.

Nick Martinez

A longtime swingman, the Rays happened to be the ones who gave Nick Martinez the greatest chance to actually stick as a starting pitcher. A league best 1.3 BB/9 with a rather low 5.5 K/9, he is a contact pitcher that wins because of light contact. His mutual option is for $20 million which seems a bit extreme for Tampa Bay. With him, they might not actually find a trade partner. He’s already 36 and something tells me teams will believe regression from his awesome season is inevitable. As a free agent, the Mets should consider.

Verdict: He’s probably a Plan-C as a free agent.

Trevor Megill

The Mets have had interest in a Trevor Megill trade previously. After another successful year closing games and an arbitration salary that’ll go up, now is the time to strike before he reaches the open market. The curious part about Megill is he has proven he can be a successful closer. Would the Mets trade anything worthwhile just to put him in the bullpen as a setup man in front of Devin Williams?

Verdict: Worth asking about, probably too expensive of a trade cost.

JoJo Romero

This one might actually work. JoJo Romero is a free agent and the Mets will need another left-handed reliever in their bullpen. A regular ground ball pitcher with a career average over 50% of worm burners, Romero is the exact type of free agent reliever we should expect the Mets to add that won’t cost them a significant amount of cash. They have Nate Lavender as a promising and still budding southpaw in the bullpen. He’ll need some help and Romero on a short-term deal seems to fit as long as the Mets aren’t going completely cheap.

Verdict: This one feels like it’s very likely.

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