The New York Mets are heading into the upcoming season with the dual goals of competing immediately and maintaining financial flexibility long-term. While the club possesses the resources to engage the market's elite players, smart roster building dictates finding value in unexpected places. Specifically, the Mets need cost-controlled depth—pitching depth, in particular—that can outperform its contract, especially after a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw pitching struggles define the season.
This necessity leads the Mets’ focus to the lower echelons of the free agent market. Players categorized in Tier 5, in recent MLB free agent class rankings, often offer the chance to acquire frontline upside for a fraction of the cost, usually on short, incentive-laden contracts.