Everyone in Philadelphia is having a GREAT time right now. The Eagles squandered a Super Bowl quality roster, the Flyers and Sixers and finding new and creative ways to lose, and the Phillies are “content.” Of course, “content” is the word used by President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski to describe the roster after getting his lunch stolen by the Mets for Bo Bichette. Since then, the Mets also traded for Luis Robert and Freddy Peralta while the Phillies remain content. As fans, many of us1 will need to learn how to be content with the Phillies’ non-response to these moves and those of our other rival in LA. How in the world are we going to do that? Well, how about a handy guide!
[DISCLAIMER: I like what the Mets have done this offseason. I am just trying to deal with it mentally]
The Moves are More Flashy Than Good
So far, the Mets have brought in Marcus Semien, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, Bo Bichette, Luis Robert, and now Freddy Peralta. On paper, those are some great names with some serious peak seasons on their resumes. However, none of them are considered sure bets going into 2026.
- Semien finished 3rd for MVP voting in 2023, but his bat doesn’t work anymore. His .669 OPS is commensurate with his falling statistics all across the board. At 35, it’s not going to improve.
- Williams was the big ticket trade for the Yankees last year but lost his closer spot and never got it back. The funny thing about him going to the Mets is that he is the reason the Mets won their playoff series 2 years ago, when he blew the game to the now departed Pete Alonso
- Polanco will be 33 next summer, has never played 1st base, and just had his best season after several years of mediocrity.
- Bichette was a great move for the lineup, but he will likely end up being the DH when the team realizes it has better options at 3rd. (I can’t downplay this move, I wanted him bad)
- I love Robert as a 4th outfielder, but hitting righties has becomes such an impossibility that he can’t masquerade as an everyday player
- Peralta just had the season of his life in low pressure Milwaukee, but his bad playoff resume and only slightly better than average career numbers don’t bode well for a positive stint in New York.
They Might Not Be Better Than Last Year
The core of the last few years of Mets baseball is gone. Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, and Jeff McNeil have all left with only Francisco Lindor still in the lineup. While some of those guys had seen better days, the Mets are going to be hard pressed to duplicate what some of those guys brought to the table.
Where is the power coming from? Alonso led the NL in doubles last year with 41 and belted 38 HRs. Bichette will help in the doubles department, but where are the HRs coming from? Polanco had 26 last year, but it was a big outlier. He is also regularly hurt, averaging around 110 games per season to Alonso’s 162.
Then there’s the loss of Edwin Diaz. He was unbelievable last year and an absolute HORSE when the rest of the bullpen was imploding around him. Williams still had good peripheral stats, but the Mets are really banking on a results rebound. If not, their already weak pitching staff is going to be in the same situation it was last year.
Speaking of the staff, by the end of 2025 they had Nolan McLean and that was it. Now they have Freddy Peralta too…but still not much else. They should probably still go after more pitching. Come playoff time, they simply do not have the arms the Phillies have.
All Their Eggs are in One Basket
The Mets realized their core needed a change and they made it. That’s a tough but probably good decision. Unfortunately, they did not pick up or graduate some new core in the process. The team has a 32 year old Lindor and Juan Soto who didn’t exactly lead the charge last year leadership-wise on a dysfunctional team. Bichette and Peralta are one year rentals who could end up staying, but that is far from a certainty and probably depends a ton on how the season goes.
Lost in the rejuvenation process are Bret Baty and Mark Vientos. Are they sharing the DH job this season? Are they further trade bait? They do not seem to have an every day role at the moment.
Speaking of trade bait, three of their better pieces were just moved in Luisangel Acuna, Jett Williams, and Brandon Sproat. Granted they have a healthy farm system, but it was a steep price to pay for 1 year of Robert and Peralta.
They are Still the Mets
Old reliable.
- The hyperbole police came after me previously for saying “all” Phillies fans were upset, so instead of risking another smugly worded response, I have changed it to the much less strict “many” ↩︎
Philly Front Office 
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