The strange NY Mets roster dichotomy between 2025 and 2026

What will we remember most about the 2025 New York Mets? It was the first of many years with Juan Soto. It was largely a rerun with some new cast members from the glorious 2024 campaign. It was also the last year with Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz.

Four mainstays with the Mets since 2019, moving on from all of them in the span of about a month was a big shock. We’ll all be following closely what they do with their new teams in 2026 and beyond.

We didn’t know it at the time, but 2025 will be a year we can look back on as the final leg of that last group. Meanwhile, the 2026 season has a good chance to be characterized as one of short-term mercenaries who stay for a year and move on.

We might not even have a chance to fall in love with a lot of the 2026 Mets

Bo Bichette’s opt-out, Freddy Peralta’s expiring contract, and the team option on Luis Robert Jr. give us three immediate and major impact players who have strong odds of leaving after one year. By design, the Mets showed a preference for temporary improvements over the longer contracts other teams handed out.

It’s anyone’s guess how any of their years play out and what happens afterward. Bichette is only opting in if he has a terrible season. Peralta seems bound to test free agency if for no other reason than curiosity. Robert’s fate will depend largely on a couple of factors. He’s only coming back if he puts together a monster season. A backup plan of moving Carson Benge to center field or a quicker-than-expected rise of A.J. Ewing can push him out the door more easily.

This year’s Mets have something in common with the 2022 Mets. Let’s not forget how 2021 saw the end of longtime Mets Noah Syndergaard and Michael Conforto. Not as significant of a turnover as this offseason, their departure marked the end days of a bygone era. Only Jacob deGrom’s presence connected us back to 2015.

There’s a mercenary element to this year’s Mets team. It has been a theme throughout David Stearns’ tenure. The 2026 season should mark a bit of a change in philosophy as the young players are finally digging themselves in as core pieces. Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and more fit into the team’s plans.

Out with the old, in with the new, with sprinkles of some permanency with the young kids. This year’s Mets look nothing like last year.