These underrated free agents are musts for the NY Mets to target

When free agency opens in a couple of weeks, it will be even more of a mad dash than normal for big contracts to be signed, given the impending transaction moratorium that the looming lockout could cause. The New York Mets will be in on several stars. Tarik Skubal and several high-end alternatives could be on the menu, but the Mets will also need more.

Superstars get all the focus, but sometimes the most impactful thing that a team can do is get the right players in the right roles. To that end, these five under-the-radar free agents could be solid pickups for New York, whose value far exceeds their price tags.

The Mets would be wise to target these five underrated free agents

Starting pitcher Cal Quantrill

Once upon a time, Cal Quantrill was an up-and-coming young starting pitcher whom the Cleveland Guardians tabbed as their Game 1 starter in the ALDS matchup against the New York Yankees back in 2022. There was a reason why he got that call. He was legitimately good, posting a 3.38 ERA over 186 1/3 innings pitched.

Since then, though, Quantrill has become something of a journeyman. He lasted another year in Cleveland before going on to play for the Rockies, Marlins, and Braves. Last offseason, he landed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and quickly he established himself as an integral piece for them.

The right-hander began working out of the bullpen as the Rangers' long man, but over time injuries to the likes of Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Leiter forced him into the starting rotation. Quantrill was good as a bullpen innings eater, but he flourished when being placed in the rotation, making 15 starts in which he recorded a 2.47 ERA. He was at his best down the stretch as Texas fought for a playoff spot.

Quantrill doesn't have overwhelming stuff, but he gets the job done with a mix of pitches that all were plus offerings last season and pinpoint command. He walked batters at a razor-thin 5.6% clip, and limited the opposition to just a 36.4% hard-hit rate. He could be both a cheaper and more durable alternative to fill out the back of the rotation than a more well-known option like Tyler Mahle, and his journey of reinvention could be useful to share with the Mets' young starters.

Outfielder Lane Thomas

A look at New York's outfield tells you two things. One, it's almost entirely left-handed, with Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Juan Soto all hitting from the left side. Two, unless you're moving Benge to center every time, there's no real backup to Ewing in center, especially if he's called upon to play second base.

Lane Thomas is a cheap solution to both of these problems. The right-handed hitter mashes lefties, posting an .803 OPS against southpaws this season and an .848 mark for his career. On top of that, he's a capable center fielder who can also play the corners.

The Braves acquired Thomas from the Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline, so there's the added benefit of swiping him from a hated rival. As long as the 31-year-old doesn't have to play much against righties, he'd be a cheap floor-raiser who fills a real need for the Mets.

Reliever Jonathan Loaisiga

If you Google my name plus Jonathan Loaisiga and the word "arsonist," you'll find dozens of results from our sister site, Yanks Go Yard. I've been extremely critical of Loaisiga in the past, which is why I don't take recommending him here lightly.

See, part of the frustration with Loaisiga as a Yankee was the persistent health issues. After a breakout 2021 campaign that saw him post a 2.17 ERA over 70 2/3 innings, the right-hander had a decent 2022 season before the injury bug hit. He spent much of 2023 through 2025 on the IL for various ailments, struggling mightily when he took the mound in between them.

However, in 2026 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he was both healthy and flourished. The 32-year-old posted a 2.42 ERA and 2.88 FIP over 67 innings, regaining his command with just a 5% walk rate and rejuvenating the bite on his high-90s sinker, which led him to a superb 56.4% ground ball rate.

The Mets could really use a guy who can get outs in the sixth and seventh innings, and that's what Loaisiga proved he could do this year. He's also a guy who has proven that he can have success in New York, and it seems as if most of his recent issues were due to injury rather than talent.

Utility man Edmundo Sosa

The Mets have tried to get their young players to adapt to utility roles with limited success. Luisangel Acuña could never find his footing before being dealt in the Luis Robert Jr. trade, and Ronny Mauricio has also struggled in the role in between bouts with the injury bug. Brett Baty is the one former top prospect to have some success, but he doesn't have the ability to play shortstop, which makes him a poor fit for the top utility man job.

A way to rectify this problem would be to steal from yet another division rival, this time the Philadelphia Phillies, who are facing a reckoning of their own following another early playoff exit. Edmundo Sosa could shake free as a result, and the Mets would be wise to snap him up.

Sosa is a solid defender across second, short, third, and left field, and he can also handle the bat a bit. 2026 was a bit of a down year for him, posting an 89 wRC+. However, he recorded wRC+ marks of 101 and 110 in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The 30-year-old is dangerous against left-handed pitching in particular, putting up an .835 OPS against southpaws in 2026 and an .806 mark for his career.

Swingman Ryan Yarbrough

Adding depth and versatility to the pitching staff should be a top priority, and in this case, a great way to do that would be to pilfer the Bronx and steal away lefty swingman Ryan Yarbrough. Yarbrough has spent the last two seasons with the Yankees, and in that time he's shown that he can do a little bit of everything.

In 2025, he helped them survive a rash of injuries in their rotation, making eight starts and pitching to a 3.83 ERA in the rotation. In 2026, he served more as the long man out of the pen, tossing 63 1/3 innings over 38 appearances while putting up a 3.69 ERA.

Having a multi-inning reliever to save the bullpen during the grind of the regular season is important, as is having a guy who can enter the rotation and keep things humming along should disaster strike. Obviously, the 34-year-old can do both of these things very well.

That's not all, though. He can also serve as a lefty specialist if needed. Yarbrough has that kind of slingshot delivery that is common among left-handed relievers who dominate same-handed batters, and in 2026 he held lefties to a minuscule .170 batting average. For his career, lefties have hit just .204 against him.

Throw him a couple million on a one-year deal, and you'll have a solid Jack-of-all-trades type raising up the Mets' bullpen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow