The New York Mets have four games left in their 2026 MLB season, and David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, will have to get to work to fix a team that has missed the playoffs in back-to-back years.
New York made its first decision of the offseason this week, removing the interim tag and giving Andy Green a three-year contract to remain as the Mets manager. Now, with their manager in place, Stearns will need to get Green the players to end this two-year playoff drought.
Outside of Tarik Skubal, the free agent market lacks those big names and game changers. Nonetheless, there are depth pieces and players who can fill supporting cast roles. Tyler Antonelle of New York Mets on SI listed four free agent names that make sense for New York, including Milwaukee Brewers‘ Jake Bauers.
“[Bauers] is an interesting one because it’s unlikely you’d see David Stearns bring in another lefty bat to compete with Jared Young,” Antonelle wrote in a Sept. 23 article. “But an exception can be made for Jake Bauers, who has broken out in a massive way in 2026.
“Bauers will soon be 31 and is in line for a major pay raise after making just $2.7 million this year. He has 26 home runs, 83 RBIs, and leads the NL in on-base percentage, getting on base at a near .400 clip.”
Brewers’ Jake Bauers Does Come With Concerns
Milwaukee’s veteran first baseman has burst out this season, and it comes at a good time as he’s about to hit the free agent market. Still, that late-career offensive surge comes with concerns about whether it’s a one-off season or something he can sustain.
Furthermore, Bauer has other concerns beyond this newfound offensive season.
“His underlying statistics suggest he has been among the league’s best in almost all offensive categories except swing-and-miss,” Antonelle added in his article. “Despite striking out a lot, Bauers walks a lot and hits the ball extremely hard. Another downside to Bauers is that he’s not a particularly great fielder, as he leads the league with eight errors at first base.
“However, he also provides corner outfield versatility that could be helpful for the Mets if they want to get Juan Soto off his feet more. Bauers is a wild card because of his age, his sudden emergence, and what he might command on the open market, but the numbers are just too good to ignore.”
Should the Mets Consider Alec Bohm in Free Agency
Recently, New York Mets on SI’s Mike Phillips said another free-agent option the team should consider plays right in their division: Philadelphia Phillies‘ Alec Bohm.
“First base is one of the bigger questions on the Mets’ roster, and they can’t go into next season hoping that the combination of Jared Young, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Jorge Polanco can solve it,” Phillips wrote in a Sept. 21 article.
“One good fit here could be Alec Bohm, who is hitting .251 with 15 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .707 OPS in 534 at-bats for the Phillies.”
Since coming to the majors in 2020, Bohm has a batting average of .274 with 891 hits, 85 homers, 482 RBIs, and 394 runs scored in 868 games, per StatMuse.
Brewers Veteran Named Potenital Free Agent Option for Mets