“Self-deception isn’t a lie; it’s a survival mechanism.”
—“Spring,” Karl Ove KnausgaardWe’re starting to get a sense of what the 2027 Mets could look like.There are still 43 games to play and much for the Mets to learn about their roster entering the offseason. But in the wake of the trade deadline, we have a better idea of what New York’s needs will be this winter. Let’s examine the lineup, the rotation and the bullpen with an emphasis on the club’s payroll, followed by speculative thoughts on the shape of the roster.The lineupThe Mets could conceivably enter next season with pretty much all returning players on the position-player side.
Mets' returning lineup 2027 PositionPlayerContractAAVCFrancisco AlvarezArbitration$5.81BJared YoungPre-arb$0.82BMarcus SemienGuaranteed$24.03BBo BichettePlayer option$42.0SSFrancisco LindorGuaranteed$34.1LFJuan SotoGuaranteed$51.0CFA.J. EwingPre-arb$0.8RFCarson BengePre-arb$0.8DHJorge PolancoGuaranteed$20.0CLuis TorrensGuaranteed$5.5BenchBrett BatyArbitration$2.0BenchRonny MauricioPre-arb$0.8BenchMark VientosArbitration$2.0Subtotal$189.6
• Bichette’s player option will be the first domino to fall in the week following the World Series. It sure looks as if Bichette will stick with the Mets for 2027; he’s having the worst healthy season of his career by a wide margin, and the upcoming labor uncertainty probably mitigates any desire to enter a weak free-agent class. Maybe the performance changes significantly in the next several weeks — Sunday looked awfully good — and maybe Bichette decides it’s just not working in New York for whatever reason. But for now, he’s penciled into the 2027 roster and budget.• It would be very difficult for the Mets to carry the trio of Baty, Mauricio and Vientos as bench players with all three out of options. If none of them stake claim to a regular role next season — and Baty pretty obviously has the best chance to — then the Mets would almost certainly have to move on from at least one of that group. Nick Morabito could end up as a fourth outfielder, though he doesn’t have to be in that role from Opening Day on.• Young has had a nice year for the Mets this season. I do not think it’s the type of year that makes you comfortable writing him and Polanco in as your tandem first basemen/DHs.• As mentioned last week, Semien’s season has been rough enough to wonder if he should be handed the everyday job at second base again next spring.• The offseason priorities are therefore likely to center on a first baseman/DH, a second baseman to potentially push or replace Semien, and reserve pieces.The rotation
