The New York Mets have made a handful of additions to their roster so far this offseason. Among their most notable new players are Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver. The Mets are hoping that these four will prove to be strong pickups for their roster.
Yet, when looking at the Mets’ current roster, it is fair to argue that they should not be done making moves yet. One of their biggest needs right now is another impactful starting pitcher, and the free-agent market has some intriguing options still available for the taking.
One free agent whom the Mets have been connected to throughout this offseason is All-Star pitcher Framber Valdez. It is not difficult to understand why, as he would certainly give the top half of the Mets’ pitching rotation a major boost if they successfully signed him.
Furthermore, when looking at how this past season went for the Mets, they should aggressively pursue a top free agent like Valdez. The Mets finished the 2025 eason with an underwhelming 83-79 record and missed the playoffs after they entered the campaign with very high expectations. Thus, they should be aiming to make a splash as they look to turn things around in 2026.
Now, the Mets have gotten an encouraging update on the possibility of them being the eventual winners of the Valdez sweepstakes.
Mets Predicted to Sign Framber Valdez in Free Agency
In a recent article for FanSided, Chris Landers predicted where each of the top remaining MLB free agents will end up signing. With Valdez being the top starting pitcher still on the market, he was among the players discussed.
When it came to Valdez, Landers predicted that the Mets would be the lucky team that signs Valdez this offseason in free agency.
“And Valdez is nothing if not proven. He’s not going to miss a ton of bats, and he’s already 32 years old, but all he does is force a trillion ground balls and eat up innings with an ERA of 3.50 or lower. That’s awfully valuable for this Mets team in particular, given how few internal options feel like a safe bet for at least 150 frames in 2026,” Landers wrote.
With the Mets needing another reliable pitcher, it makes all the sense in the world that they are being viewed as a prime landing spot for Valdez. If they successfully landed him, their rotation would look much better on paper heading into 2026.
Valdez’s stats in recent seasons show how effective he is, too. During this past campaign with the Houston Astros, he had a 13-11 record, a 3.66 ERA, and 187 strikeouts. This was after the two-time All-Star put together a 15-7 record and a 2.91 ERA in 2024 for Houston. With this, he would be a big-time addition for a Mets club that needs pitching help.
Mets Are Not the Only Team Linked to Valdez
With Valdez being one of the best pitchers still on the market, the Mets are not the only team that has been linked to him this offseason. Other clubs that have been connected to Valdez this offseason include the Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and Detroit Tigers.
With this, there is no question that the Mets have some competition in the Valdez sweepstakes. It will be interesting to see if they successfully land him from here.
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