The New York Mets could be looking to make yet another major splash in the near future. General manager David Stearns spent nearly $250 million on a series of offseason signings ahead of the 2026 season. The exec also struck a blockbuster deal with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire star pitcher Freddy Peralta.
Despite this, the club has been one of the worst teams in baseball to start the campaign. In fact, New York’s loss to the Minnesota Twins on April 21 was their 12th consecutive defeat. No team in Major League Baseball history has ever made the playoffs after losing a dozen straight games during a season.
The Mets, however, will hope that superstar outfielder Juan Soto will give the club a boost moving forward. Soto is expected to return to the lineup on April 22 after missing 15 games with a calf strain. New York certainly missed the slugger. The Mets are currently averaging just 3.26 runs per game during the current campaign. This is the lowest figure in the entire league.
Another way New York could receive a shot in the arm is to acquire an additional bat. According to Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer, the Mets could be in pole position to grab Houston Astros star slugger Yordan Alvarez. Houston is currently last in the American League West and could become a seller if their struggles continue. Fangraphs currently gives the Astros a 17% chance to make the playoffs come fall.
New York Mets Must Turn Things Around to Enter Yordan Alvarez Sweepstakes
GettyYordan Alvarez has arguably been the best MLB hitter in 2026.
Alvarez is widely regarded as one of the top power hitters in all of baseball. He is a three-time All-Star and perennial MVP candidate when healthy. Despite the Astros struggles, the 28-year-old outfielder/designated hitter currently leads the league in home runs, RBIs, and hits in 2026.
Houston potentially trading Alvarez is fairly unlikely at the moment. After all, he is earning a relatively reasonable $26.8 million per year and will not become a free agent until after the 2028 season. Nevertheless, they could look at the situation as the slugger’s value may not be any higher in the future. Potentially offloading the star this summer would get the Astros a major return.
The New York Mets, however, would likely have to turn things around fairly quickly to become buyers in the trade market. Although they could seemingly handle Alvarez’s contract, trading away multiple top prospects does not make much sense if you are not a contender. Despite having the worst record in the National League, Fangraphs still rates New York’s chances of making the playoffs at 39%.
New York Can Make Suitable Offer to Houston
As Rymer points out, the New York Mets have the prospects to make another major trade. Entering the 2026 season, New York had four of the top 31 prospects in all of baseball. Nolan McLean and Carson Benge have since graduated, but they still have quality pieces in the minor leagues to work with.
The Astros would likely want a young arm or two, and the Mets have Jonah Tong waiting in the wings. ESPN’s David Schoenfield even recently named the highly-rated starting pitcher as a potential trade candidate for New York. Tong has struggled a bit to start the 2026 season, but did strike out nine batters in just over five innings on April 21.
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