The Mets, who could use a reliever to set up Devin Williams, may look to pivot to Pete Fairbanks, a free agent who saved 27 games for Tampa Bay this year. The Mets were also one of several teams reportedly interested in Brewers closer Trevor Megill.

David Stearns said earlier this week during the winter meetings (prior to Edwin Díaz leaving for Los Angeles) that the bullpen was a “work in progress.”

The Braves can now finish games with Suarez and Raisel Iglesias. A source told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that Iglesias will remain the closer and Suarez will set up. The Braves re-signed Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million deal last month.

Suarez will earn $13 million, $16 million and $16 million for the contract with no deferred money, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

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The Mets and Rangers dropped a bombshell on Sunday, swapping Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien with the Mets sending $5 million to Texas. Nimmo is owed $101 million over the next five years, while Semien will make $72 million over three.

Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, the Mets asked Nimmo on Friday to waive his no-trade clause, and after a day of thinking, including a talk with Jacob deGrom, he agreed.

Brandon Nimmo. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Latest Mets News

According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets’ talks with Edwin Díaz have stalled. He is seeking a five-year deal akin to the one he received three years ago, while the Mets prefer fewer years. If they can’t reach an agreement, New York plans to “aggressively pursue” free agent relievers Robert Suárez and Devin Williams. Sammon reports that the Mets have already reached out to both pitchers’ camps multiple times.

MMO‘s Nick Kalantzopoulos has more on the Mets’ interest in the two closers.

Latest MLB News

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Braves have re-signed Joel Payamps on a one-year, $2.25 million deal after previously DFA’ing him. He’s two years removed from elite setup work and posted a 2.78 ERA with a 3.89 SO/BB ratio from 2023-24.

According to The Athletic, the Detroit Tigers are considering Ryan Helsley to be a potential starter, even though he hasn’t started since 2019 in Triple-A. He’d need to broaden his pitch mix, but the thin starting-pitcher market could boost his value. It was recently reported that the Mets plan to steer clear of their former setup man.

Latest on MMO

James Villani profiles free agent Ty France.

James Villani looks at three potential left-handed relief options in the free agent market.

On This Date in Mets History

1997: The Mets re-sign John Olerud to a two-year deal worth $8 million. He went on to have a breakout 1998 season, hitting .354 and receiving MVP votes.

2005: New York acquires slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado in exchange for Mike Jacobs, future reliever Yusmeiro Petit and an additional prospect.

Born on This Date: Bob Friend (1930), Jason Jacome (1970).

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The team has contacted the Devin Williams and Robert Suarez camps, “multiple times recently,” according to a report by The Athletic‘s Will Sammon.

This, as contract length has become “a sticking point,” in the discussions between the Mets and Edwin Díaz. The free agent flamethrower has previously been reported to wanting a deal similar to the five-year $102 million one he signed to stay in Queens three years ago. The Mets on the other hand reportedly prefer something shorter, like three years. This per Sammon’s article.

Williams is coming off an up-and-down year with the Yankees and Suarez has been a stalworth for the Padres ever since he joined them in 2022.

President of baseball operations, David Stearns, also has history with Williams during his time in Milwaukee, and got rid of Josh Hader to clear the pathway for the “air-bender” slinger to take over the closer’s role back then.

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Of the three players who received multiple predictions to the Mets, Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami was the most prominent. MLBTR believes he’ll receive a deal worth $180 million over eight years, with both Dierkes and Adams predicting that he’ll ultimately end up in Queens.

Munetaka Murakami. Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Murakami possesses otherworldly raw power, evidenced by the fact that he hit 265 home runs in 1,003 games with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 25-year-old also belted 22 homers over just 224 plate appearances in 2025 while missing time with an oblique injury.

The youngest player in NPB history to win the Triple Crown back in 2022 with 56 home runs, a .318 batting average and 134 RBIs, Murakami projects as a first baseman or designated hitter in MLB even though he primarily slotted in at third base in Japan. The Mets’ interest in him will largely be predicated on what happens with Pete Alonso, and while Murakami does have swing-and-miss concerns as well as some struggles facing higher-end velocity, he’s the kind of talent worth breaking the bank for.

Another player who landed multiple Mets predictions was right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff, with Dierkes, Franco and McDonald all believing David Stearns will look to reunite with his former ace from their time together in Milwaukee.

Woodruff didn’t pitch during the 2024 campaign after undergoing surgery to repair the anterior capsule in his right shoulder, but he was his usual self when healthy this past season for the Brewers. After returning from a rehab assignment in July, he recorded a 3.20 ERA and 3.17 FIP with 83 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings. The 32-year-old sustained a lat strain in September, however, which sidelined him throughout the entire postseason.

There’s certainly some questions about Woodruff’s durability, but he’d be a logical target for the Mets given their need for starters and his aforementioned connection to Stearns.

The final player who received several predictions to join the Mets this offseason was right-handed reliever Robert Suarez, with both Dierkes and McDonald guessing that’ll he be donning the blue and orange in 2026.

Suarez spent each of the past four years with the San Diego Padres after previously spending parts of five seasons in NPB with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Hanshin Tigers. He was an All-Star in both 2024 and 2025 for San Diego while logging a 2.87 ERA with 134 strikeouts and 76 saves in 135 appearances over that span.

MLBTR projects that Suarez will sign for $48 million over three years, and if the Mets can’t find a way to keep Edwin Díaz around, than perhaps the former could emerge as a target of theirs over the coming months.

Among the players who received a single prediction to sign with the Mets from MLBTR’s panel were Alonso, Dylan Cease, Tatsuya Imai, Alex Bregman, Devin Williams, Nick Martinez, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto. Interestingly enough, there was little faith Díaz would return to the club, as he instead forecast to join the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.

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Free agency in the MLB kicked off earlier in the week. It’s time to start talking about which players the Mets should acquire, who they should re-sign, or who it’s time to say goodbye to. So, where should they start? Here’s what we at MMO think.

John Sheridan

• Jacob deGrom: Best pitcher in baseball.
• Brandon Nimmo: Only everyday center fielder on the market.
• Seth Lugo: Right-handed reliever who can handle New York.

So, yes, my answer is mostly focusing on re-signing some of the key cast from last year and allowing Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos to have bigger roles at some point in the 2023 season.

Andrew Steele-Davis

• deGrom
• Trea Turner
• J.D. Martinez

DeGrom is the face of this franchise and, while he hasn’t been able to stay on the field in the past couple of years, he showed during a small sample size in 2022 why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Given everything he’s been through with this franchise, the front office should give him his money and the potential rewards outweigh the risks. He should be the main ace for this team.

Turner is a heck of a lot of fun to watch and he doesn’t get enough credit for what he can do offensively and in the field. An absolute speedster who is elite on the base paths, Turner would add a much-needed dimension to this Mets’ lineup and he can put the ball in play, hit for average, get on base and steal bases. Plus, he’s developed and harnessed his power which makes him an all-round threat that would propel this offense to a new level.

Martinez is one of the best well-rounded hitters in the game, and he can provide the kind of big bat in the middle of the lineup that the Mets need. The struggles at the designated-hitter spot in 2022 are well documented and, while the veteran did endure a down year offensively in 2022, Martinez boasts a career .341 OBP and he would bring a lot to the table for the Mets, who need to reconfigure their offense going into 2023.

Chris Bello

• Jacob deGrom
• Trea Turner
• Tyler Anderson

The Mets should re-sign deGrom because he’s been the best starting pitcher in baseball over the last four years. Yes, the injury history is there, but the risk is worth the reward with his generational stuff.

Trea Turner would be an amazing add to the Mets. His bat to ball skills fits perfectly in the Mets’ contact first approach and he provides more pop to a lineup that lacked it last year.

Meanwhile, Tyler Anderson was one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball last year. He finished with a 138 OPS+ and 168 ERA+. He would fill out the Mets rotation nicely and allow for the Mets to sign another starting pitcher.

Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Garaffa

• Jacob deGrom
• Brandon Nimmo
• Robert Suarez (re-signed with San Diego)

DeGrom is the no-brainer here. While he has had an injury-plagued past, he is still the face of the franchise for the Mets and belongs in the orange and blue. Brandon Nimmo is going to continue to get better and 2022 proved that, as he had incredible seasons both offensively and defensively.

Matt Mancuso

• Brandon Nimmo
• Chris Bassitt
• Taylor Rogers

The Mets’ top-three targets should be Brandon Nimmo, Chris Bassitt, and Tyler Rodgers. Nimmo, a lynchpin in the Mets’ offense during the last five seasons, drastically improved his center field defense last season, adding to an already-robust offensive profile.

Although Bassitt struggled towards the season’s end, his consistency is a necessity for a club that will see 60% of its staff head to free agency. Rogers’ struggles with the Brewers during the second half of the season stemmed from an inflated HR/FB. The spacious Citi Field should help out with that.

James Villani

• Carlos Rodon
• Brandon Nimmo
• Andrew Chafin

My heart says deGrom, and he surely should be a target. Though, if that doesn’t work out Rodon would be a great consolation prize. He has pitched tremendously the past two seasons and is only 29 years old. Nimmo is self explanatory. One of the best center fielders in the game. As for Chafin,  Mets have to completely overhaul their bullpen so there’s going to be a lot of action there. Chafin is arguably the best left-handed reliever on the market and would be a great start.

Dan Quiñones

• Jacob deGrom
• Brandon Nimmo
• José Abreu 

Despite his injury history over the last year two years, deGrom is still the best pitcher in baseball when healthy. The Mets committed big money last winter to make deGrom and Scherzer’s best 1-2 punch. They should be willing to pay their homegrown ace his asking price to keep that due at the top of their rotation. Plus, with all of the iconic starting pitchers the Mets have produced in their history, it is time one of them spent their entire career in orange and blue.

Nimmo has become a top center fielder with his improved defense and ability to get on base at a high rate. He has already proven he can produce in New York, and he has shown a desire to stay. The market for center fielders beyond Nimmo is extremely thin, so it would be wise for the Mets to lock up their homegrown talent.

Finally, the Mets didn’t get nearly enough production from the desiganted-hitter spot in 2022, but Abreu is a perfect candidate to improve the position. Abreu saw his power numbers decline in the second half of last season, but he still slashed .304/.378/.466 with 15 home runs. His high average and career .354 on-base percentage fits the Mets’ approach, and if he can regain some of the power he has shown since arriving from Cuba in 2014, he can take this offense to another level.

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Credit: Dale Zanine – USA TODAY

The Mets enter the 2022 off-season in dire need of bullpen help. Edwin Díaz, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Joely Rodríguez, Tommy Hunter, and Trevor Williams will all be free agents. In total, those seven pitchers recorded 379 1/3 innings for the Mets last season.

With the goal of competing in 2023, the Mets will have to build their pen from the plethora of options on the free-agent market. Below I have analyzed the most viable options for the Mets heading into the off-season.

Edwin Díaz

Díaz recorded one of the most dominant seasons as a closer in 2022. He struck out 50.2% of the batters he faced, pitched to a 1.31 ERA, and saved 32 out of 35 save opportunities. The Mets have stated their strong interest in re-signing Díaz and are not afraid to hand out the largest contract ever given to a closer.

Adam Ottavino

Ottavino looked vintage in 2022 and held down the eighth inning for the Mets. He cut down his walks per nine from 5.1 in 2021 to 2.2 in 2022 and recorded a WHIP under 1 for the first time since 2018.

Taylor Rogers

Taylor Rogers struggled after the all-star break once he was traded to the Brewers. He pitched to a 5.48 ERA in Milwaukee and walked 10 batters in 23 innings pitched. However, the left-hander struck out 14.1 batters per nine with the Brewers and was an all-star in 2021.

David Robertson

David Robertson continues to be a dominant reliever at 37 and was an instrumental piece in the Phillies play-off run. He pitched to a 2.40 ERA in 63 2/3 innings in the regular season and struck out 11.5 batters per nine.

Rafael Montero

Add old friend Rafael Montero to the list of pitchers that the Houston Astros have fixed over the last five years. In 2022, he pitched to a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings and held batters to a slash line of .193/.268/.267/.535.

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer was relegated to the bullpen in 2021 after he struggled with injury and poor performance as a starter. Although he has been better as a reliever, Fulmer’s numbers are not eye popping. In 133 1/3 innings as a reliever, Fulmer has a 1.320 WHIP and 3.17 ERA.

Corey Knebel

Corey Knebel signed a one-year deal with the Phillies in 2022 after reviving his career with the Dodgers the year prior. He struggled in the earlier portion of the season and lost his closers role after blowing four saves in 16 opportunities. Overall, Knebel took a step back in 2022, finishing with a 8.3 SO/9, 1.366 WHIP, and 4.46 FIP.

Kenley Jansen

Kenley Jansen stepped into the Braves closer role last season and proved to be reliable. While he gave up 1.1 home runs per nine innings, he led the National League with 41 saves and 51 games finished. Jansen also finished with a respectable 3.38 ERA.

Seth Lugo

Lugo was a bulldog for the Mets in 2022 and pitched 65 innings last season. While Lugo finished with an average 3.50 ERA in 2022, his SO/9 have gone down every year since 2019.

Robert Suarez

Robert Suarez made his MLB debut in 2022 after spending seven years between the Mexican League and NPB in Japan. He pitched to a 2.27 ERA and struck out 11.5 batters per nine over 44 2/3 innings. While he is 31, Suarez will be a hot commodity in the off season.

Brad Hand

Brad Hand proved last season that his short stint with the Mets in 2021 was not a fluke. He pitched to a 2.80 ERA and allowed only two home runs in 45 innings pitched. Hand will be targeted by many clubs this off-season due to the limited amount of left handers available.

Chris Martin

Chris Martin flourished after being traded to the Dodgers before the deadline in 2022. In LA, he pitched to a 1.46 ERA and walked one batter in 24 2/3 innings pitched. While Martin is 36, he has been one of the most reliable relievers in baseball. Since 2019, he has pitched in 173 innings and recorded a 144 ERA+.

Trevor May

May’s 2022 season was forgettable as the reliever dealt with injuries and only pitched 25 innings. While May pitched to a 5.04 ERA, his FIP finished at 3.87. Expect a bounce back season from May in 2023.

Matt Strahm

Matt Strahm bounced back with the Red Sox in 2022 after his season was cut short by injury last year. He pitched to a 3.83 ERA in 44 2/3 innings pitched. While Strahm struck out 10.5 batters per nine, he struggled with base runners and recorded a 1.231 WHIP in 2022.

Trevor Williams

Williams was the equivalent of a utility infielder out of the Mets bullpen in 2022. He logged 89 2/3 innings pitched, started nine games, and recorded one save last season. Meanwhile, Williams finished with a 3.21 ERA and 120 OPS+.

Brad Boxberger

Brad Boxberger finished another great year with the Brewers and recorded consecutive seasons of 64 innings pitched. While his 2.95 ERA was better in 2022, his 9.6 SO/9 and 1.234 WHIP were worse.

Will Smith

Will Smith revitalized his 2022 season after being traded to the Astros. After allowing seven home runs in 37 innings with the Braves, Smith pitched to a 3.27 ERA in Houston and allowed two home runs in 22 innings. Smith has been one of the most consistent left handed relievers since 2018 and has pitched to a 3.27 ERA over 261 1/3 innings.

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