3 wild NY Mets offseason twists that could satisfy the fans

3) Anthony Santander is signed to be the Opening Day first baseman in 2025

The Mets signed Holmes to start. Would it be so out-of-left-field for them to sign a power-hitting outfielder to be their primary first baseman? At the very least, Anthony Santander could share duties with Mark Vientos on days when they give other players a chance at third base. There’s also a matter of the DH spot which, if Starling Marte is no longer with the ball club, becomes wide open.

Santander is beginning to make a lot more sense for the Mets. Their pursuit of Teoscar Hernandez tells us 1) they aren’t afraid of qualifying offer penalties and 2) have the desire to add a power-hitting outfielder. The team also had reported interest in Joc Pederson before he signed with the Texas Rangers. Pretty much a DH-exclusive player and one who you should probably only start versus right-handed pitchers, this tells us the Mets aren’t against a lefty hitter either.

Luckily for them, Santander is a switch hitter. More of a right fielder than actual first baseman, the slight flexibility would be a good way for the Mets to “hedge” against however the rest of the offseason goes. They would conceivably add Santander and Alonso or go a more affordable route with Santander and a reunion with Jesse Winker.

The Mets haven’t been afraid to show they will spend money on the offense beyond Soto. Although no deal has been signed yet, a drying up market might be a large enough push they need to go a little beyond their comfort level to ensure they aren’t left with no one. They waited out the market for J.D. Martinez last year. Based on how it ended, they would’ve served themselves better with a different move.