NY Mets rumors: 1 offseason trade target they'll regret not acquiring most

There is a scene in Moneyball where Billy Beane is speaking to Scott Hatteberg about playing first base and tries to sell him on the idea that the position is easy to play, only for Ron Washington to cut in with the truth: it is incredibly hard. The New York Mets treated first base this offseason like Beane did, assuming athleticism and versatility are all that’s needed to succeed. History and baseball people usually say otherwise.

This is not about mocking experimentation or pretending players cannot learn new positions. It is about choosing certainty when you have it. The Mets had a chance to add a proven hitter who already showed he could handle first base at the major league level. Instead, they bet on transition and projection, and that bet could turn out to be the one they regret.

The Mets may regret not trading for Willson Contreras

The Mets are not wrong for believing first base can be learned on the fly. Baseball history backs that up. Teams have moved players there midstream and survived, sometimes even thrived. The problem is not the idea. It is the degree of the gamble. Jorge Polanco has logged exactly one inning at first base in his career. That is Moonlight Graham territory. If this experiment gets shaky, this is the kind of decision teams regret because the risk was optional.

That is where Willson Contreras separates himself. He is not part of this conversation because he once stood at first base, but because he already made this transition work. Last season, the Cardinals committed to the move and Contreras responded over 119 starts. He finished at +6 Outs Above Average and -1 Defensive Runs Saved. That is not a theory. That is proof that the position change held up.

The offensive profile made him an even better fit. In 2025, Contreras slashed .257/.344/.447 with 52 extra-base hits and 80 RBIs. He hit .279 with runners in scoring position and continued a long trend of getting on base. He has posted an OBP north of .340 in each of the last seven seasons. That is the stability that the Mets' lineup could have locked in as they looked to replace one of their home-grown talents.

None of this suggests Polanco will fail. He is a solid bat and a real contributor. The issue is choice. The Amazins did not need to test whether first base could be learned this season. They had access to a player who already proved it could be done successfully, with both the glove and the bat. That is the gamble they may end up regretting.