David Stearns all but confirms Kyle Tucker is the NY Mets' free agent exception

Now that Spring Training is around the corner, many of the top free agents have already finalized what uniform they'll be wearing on Opening Day. Kyle Tucker, one of this offseason's most sought-after talents, is already fielding a few offers. One of those offers is from the Mets and he's expected to make a decision soon but regardless of whether he ultimately comes to Queens, these types of contract situations may be a less common occurrence for the Mets in the future.

David Stearns and the front office plan to take a more conservative approach to roster construction moving forward

In a recent conversation with reporters, Stearns described how he plans on setting the team up for success in the future and it didn't involve simply shelling out for the best free agents. Instead, he acknowledged the current frustration with the lack of compelling moves but reiterated his confidence in the organization's direction.

"I certainly understand that there have been points of this offseason that are frustrating for our fanbase. I hear it. I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family at times. I'm also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward -- to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team, a team that year after year is a true World Series contender, and ultimately a team that does what we are all here to do, which is to win a World Series. That's why we are doing all of this."

David Stearns

A key point he made was that rather than leaning on a few stars to carry the team, he wanted to ensure that contributions were spread out more evenly across the roster. This is specifically in reference to filling the voids left by Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz in free agency.

This seems like a significant tonal shift for a team that just last year signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in MLB history totaling $765 million. However, a closer look at their payroll suggests that this may already be happening. According to Cot's Contracts, the five highest-paid Mets in 2026 will be:

1. Juan Soto ($61.88 million)
2. Francisco Lindor ($32.48 million)
3. Marcus Semien ($26.00 million)
4. Sean Manaea ($19.68 million)
5. Jorge Polanco ($17.00 million)

Of these contracts, only the top two are on long-term deals. Lindor's $341 million contract was one of Steve Cohen's first moves after taking over as majority owner. Semien was acquired from the Rangers in the Brandon Nimmo trade and was done partially to cut costs. Manaea and Polanco will be free agents again in 2028 and the Mets haven't signed any other big money contracts in recent years.

Steve Cohen hasn't explicitly said that he plans on lowering payroll but he seems less enthusiastic about shelling out cash than usual. The club's other activity this offseason also seems to suggest that a more fiscally conservative approach is being taken. Pete Alonso was only offered a short-term deal last offseason and didn't even receive a competing offer from the Mets this year to try and retain him.

It's an understandable shift as the club's exorbitant payroll hasn't led to the level of success as the Dodgers. Despite consistently having one of the most expensive rosters, in MLB, they've made the postseason just twice in the last nine years. However, when it comes to Kyle Tucker, it seems like they're willing to make a slight exception for someone of his talents.

The Mets have offered Tucker a short-term contract with a whopping AAV of $50 million. This would be the third-highest AAV in MLB right behind Juan Soto ($51 million) and Shohei Ohtani ($70 million). The duration of the contract is supposedly three or four years, so it still seems like the Mets don't want any additional long-term contracts on the books but they're seemingly willing to go against the recent grain for a player of Tucker's caliber.

It's a disappointing turn of events following the exhilarating chase for Juan Soto just a year ago but it's safe to say that staying the course wasn't going to get the job done. Perhaps taking a more measured approach to spending is what New York needs to get back to the postseason but the pursuit of Kyle Tucker could be one last chance for the Mets to flex what financial might they have left.