New York Mets

MLB teams have shown a recent interest in transitioning bullpen arms back to starting roles, and Clay Holmes is among them.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, "A few teams are inquiring about Clay Holmes transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation, including the New York Mets."

A number of players who have recently been converted from the bullpen to starting roles—such as Seth Lugo, Michael King, Reynaldo López, Jordan Hicks and Zack Littell—have had success for the teams who incorporated them into the rotation. Many started in Major League Baseball as starters. Holmes was a starter during his time in the minors.

As Sherman noted, that has led a number of MLB teams to seek out potential converts, hoping to replicate that success. He reported that "multiple teams also are looking into turning free agent Jeff Hoffman back into a starter after he made the All-Star team as a Philadelphia Phillies reliever in 2024."

Like Hoffman, Holmes was an All-Star in 2024 after finishing the year with a 3-5 record and 30 saves in 67 appearances, notching a 3.14 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 63 innings. He's now been an All-Star twice in the past three seasons after transitioning to the bullpen in 2019, and the Yankees have trusted him as a ninth-inning option in the past three years.

Sherman wrote that teams interested in Holmes as a starter point to his four pitches (a four-seam fastball, an elite sinker, a slider and a sweeper), and the potential to add a changeup, as an indication that he should be able to make the transition.

The Mets, meanwhile, are reportedly looking to stay out of the high-end market for pitchers, likely down to their pursuit of superstar outfielder Juan Soto. And if a rotation conversion doesn't pan out for Holmes, he's still a reliable late-innings option.

Obviously, much of the Mets' offseason plans will come into greater focus once Soto makes his decision. But don't be shocked if the team gets a bit creative while putting together the pitching staff.

The New York Mets and Frankie Montas have agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract, pending the results of a physical, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Montas has a player option for 2026, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon.

The former Milwaukee Brewer and Cincinnati Red's right-handed pitcher threw 150.2 innings with a 4.84 ERA last season.

During the previous offseason, Montas inked a one-year, $16 million deal with the Reds, which included a mutual option for 2025. However, Montas declined that option before being traded to the Brewers at the deadline, according to MLB.com's Andrew Simon.

Montas will join Kodai Senga and David Peterson in the Mets' starting rotation, following the departure of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana to free agency.

The 31-year-old has nine seasons in the MLB under his belt and has played for five different teams, including another New York team, the Yankees. He appeared in just nine games for the Yankees over two seasons due to injuries.

Along with Montas, the Mets are still in the running to acquire prized free agent Juan Soto as they work to add new pieces to their revamped rotation.

The Mets finished last season with an 89-73 record, placing second in the NL East. However, they are focused on strengthening their roster to improve their chances of a World Series run after falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.

Starting pitching played a crucial role in their success. Even though they lost Senga, their Opening Day starter, for much of the season, the Mets finished with a 3.91 ERA from their starters, per to Passan.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani unanimously won the National League MVP award on Thursday, besting second-place finisher and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor.

After news of that result went live, the Mets channeled their inner LeBron James, referencing the Los Angeles Lakers superstar's recent decision to take a social media sabbatical.

The Mets' social media stoppage lasted all of nine minutes, as the team honored their superstar in another X post.

It was an incredible year for the shortstop, as Lindor amassed 33 home runs and 91 RBI to go along with a .273 batting average and .844 OPS. The Silver Slugger also swiped 29 bags, scored 107 runs and led the Mets to their first National League Championship Series since 2015.

In many years, Lindor's efforts could have won him an MVP award. He was the catalyst for a phenomenal Mets turnaround that saw the team go from 11 games under .500 in early June to an 89-73 record and a wild-card berth.

New York clinched a postseason berth on the season's last day thanks largely to Lindor, who hit a game-winning, two-run, ninth-inning homer against the Atlanta Braves in Game 161 for an 8-7 victory. He fared well in the playoffs too with an .877 OPS, two homers and eight RBI over 13 games.

Of course, this year was hard to win an MVP over Ohtani, who became the first player to post a 50-50 season (54 homers, 59 stolen bases). Even though he never played defense this season, his offensive dominance (for the league's top team no less) catapulted him to the award.

The argument against Ohtani, of course, is that he didn't play defense. It seemed like the SNY Mets X account may have made a comment on that with this interestingly timed post.

Lindor put forth a phenomenal effort, though, and he could well keep himself in the MVP conversation next year as he and the Mets look to build off a tremendous season.

Fresh off their NLCS run in 2024, the New York Mets have added some talent to the outfield.

Per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the Mets acquired outfielder Jose Siri from the Tampa Bay Rays in return for reliever Eric Orze. New York later confirmed the trade.

Siri, who has been with the Rays since 2022, hit 18 home runs, 47 RBI and had a .187 batting average last season. In 2023, he had 25 homers, 56 RBI and a .222 batting average.

While his offensive numbers took a hit last year, he is still a force in the outfield, recording 16 Outs Above Average in 2024, which was tied for the fifth-most in the majors last season.

Last year, the Mets used Tyrone Taylor and Harrison Bader in center field, and Siri will likely take the place of Bader. Taylor had seven homers, 35 RBI and a .248 batting average in 2024 and Siri will serve as a solid primary center fielder if Taylor has to miss any time due to the surgeries he underwent this offseason or other injuries that might occur.

Orze, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, didn't spend much time in the majors last season. In two appearances, he gave up three hits, four runs and two walks across 1.2 innings.

He had a solid season in the minors with a 2.92 ERA over 43 appearances at Triple-A Syracuse and may have a better shot at making it to the majors with the Rays.

New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino has elected to enter free agency after declining his $21.05 million qualifying offer, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Severino, who turns 31 years old in February, went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA (1.24 WHIP) over 31 starts, striking out 161 batters across 182.0 innings.

Severino's free agency decision comes as no surprise given his impressive (and healthy) bounce-back season. It marked the first time he made 30 or more starts since 2018, the second of back-to-back All-Star campaigns that saw him finish ninth in the American League Cy Young voting with the New York Yankees.

From 2019-2023, Severino was sidelined for long stretches with injuries, including a Grade 2 lat strain (2019), a torn UCL in his right elbow (2020), a groin injury (2021), a low-grade right lat strain (2022) and a high-grade oblique strain (2023). He made just 45 appearances (40 starts), going 13-12 with a 4.47 ERA. Severino significantly struggled in 2023 with a 4-8 record and 6.65 ERA (1.65 WHIP).

However, Severino enjoyed an excellent comeback in 2024, showcasing what he can do over a full and healthy season. He largely fared well in the playoffs too, posting a 3.24 ERA over three starts (16.2 innings).

Severino can certainly land back with the Mets, and general manager David Stearns expressed interest in him returning to the mix earlier this month.

However, word emerged from The Athletic's Will Sammon that Severino was expected to decline the qualifying offer.

"Though starting pitcher Luis Severino loves playing in New York, it's likely that he declines the qualifying offer from the Mets, a league source said, in favor of trying to land a multiyear deal," Sammon wrote last Saturday.

The Athletic's Tim Britton notably projected Severino to get a three-year, $50 million deal.

Severino should be able to find that multi-year deal he reportedly seeks. The ultimate questions, of course, are where he lands and how much he gets.

Sean Manaea will reportedly try his luck in free agency this offseason.

Per ESPN's Alden González, the starting pitcher will reject the New York Mets' $21.05 million qualifying offer and try to get a bit more in free agency, either from the Mets or from another team.

Manaea had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024, throwing 184 strikeouts and recording a 3.47 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 32 appearances. His ERA was his best since 2019 when he played just five games for the Oakland Athletics.

He especially came to life in the second half of the season, recording a 3.09 ERA in his final 12 starts to help the Mets secure a postseason bid. In the playoffs, he had a 2.65 ERA with 17 strikeouts across 17 innings in his first three starts. His numbers dipped a bit in the NLCS when he gave up five runs in two innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Manaea had a $13.5 million option for the 2025 season but declined it earlier in November. It was expected that he would decline the qualifying offer for the Mets.

SNY's Alex Smith noted that if Manaea signs with another team, the Mets would receive draft compensation.

The Mets are coming off a successful 89-73 that saw them make a terrific postseason run to the NLCS, ultimately falling to the Dodgers. While Manaea will evaluate his future in free agency, it seems likely New York will try to retain him given his role to the team in 2024.

The New York Mets could have a big hole to fill if star first baseman Pete Alonso joins another team in free agency, but it sounds like they would welcome the chance to replace him with another veteran slugger.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi named first baseman Christian Walker as a likely target for the Mets if Alonso signs elsewhere, saying, "I could see the Mets pivoting and loving it."

Morosi added that Walker is expected to receive a contract for "fewer total dollars and fewer years" than what Alonso will command on the open market, making him an attractive option for teams in need of a first baseman.

Walker began his major league career with the Baltimore Orioles in 2014 and joined the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. The 33-year-old appeared in 130 games for the D-backs this past season and hit .251 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. It was his third straight year hitting 25 or more homers, and he earned his third consecutive Gold Glove Award for his performance in the field.

Alonso has been the face of the Mets since he made his major league debut in 2019. When New York's 2024 campaign ended with a loss in the NLCS in six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he expressed his love for the franchise but didn't indicate which way he was leaning in his first foray into free agency.

The 29-year-old is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the open market, which would make it difficult for the Mets to retain him. However, adding Walker would undoubtedly be a perfect fall-back option.

Coming off a strong rebound season for the New York Mets in 2024, Luis Severino is banking on a healthy free-agent market rather than accepting the qualifying offer.

Per The Athletic's Will Sammon, Severino is unlikely to accept the one-year tender worth $21.05 million from the Mets before the deadline to do so passes at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Mets were the only team that issued more than one qualifying offer this year, extending it to Severino, Pete Alonso and Sean Manaea.

Severino would seem to be the most likely of that trio to accept it given his long injury history, but this offseason might also be his last best chance to secure a lucrative multiyear deal.

The two-time All-Star signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets in December 2023. He was coming off the worst season of his career with a 6.65 ERA in 19 appearances for the New York Yankees.

In five seasons from 2019 to '23, Severino only appeared in 45 games due to a series of injuries. He missed all of 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. His ERA during that five-year run was 4.47.

Severino turned out to be a big addition for the Mets. The right-hander made 31 starts, led the team with 182 innings and posted a 3.91 ERA. He was effective in three playoff starts, finishing with a 3.24 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.

There are reasons to be concerned that Severino might not be as effective going forward. His strikeout rate of 8.0 per nine innings was tied with 2023 for the worst of his career. He ranked in the 34th percentile in strikeout percentage and 21st percentile in whiff rate.

MLB Trade Rumors is projecting a three-year, $51 million deal for Severino. A contract of that value would certainly make his decision not to accept the qualifying offer look smart, but recent history has shown the market for non-star-level players can be slow moving.

Juan Soto could be heading to a different borough of New York this offseason.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the free agent outfielder had a meeting with Mets owner Steve Cohen and "a contingent of high-ranking Mets officials" and that the conversation was very positive.

"All early signs suggest the meeting went extremely well, and the Mets remain viewed as one of the favorites for the services of Soto, who helped the Yankees reach the World Series in his initial season in New York and is the top priority of both New York teams.

Soto spent the 2023 season with the New York Yankees, where he hit .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs in 157 games. He helped carry the team to the top record in the American League and a trip to the World Series.

He is the top free agent on the market and has been linked to teams like the Yankees, Mets and Boston Red Sox. He should get a massive deal, and an owner like Cohen has been known to shell out dough, with major contracts to Francisco Lindor and Edwin Diaz serving as recent examples.

The Mets had an excellent 2024 season as well, going 89-73 and advancing to the NLCS. A player like Soto could help the team take the next steps towards unseating the teams at the top of the National League.