LAS VEGAS — On the heels of one of the most-watched and most thrilling postseasons in history, baseball is back in the news this week as the general manager meetings begin Monday in Las Vegas.
The Cosmopolitan hotel and casino is an interesting backdrop given the charges leveled at Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz that were made public Sunday in an unsealed indictment. Federal prosecutors charged them with fraud, conspiracy and bribery stemming from an alleged gambling scheme, and it will no doubt be a topic of discussion this week in Sin City. Baseball executives fielding questions about gambling while slot machines ding and cards are dealt behind them feels a little on-the-nose.
Nothing to see here, folks.
Considering it’s the GM meetings and not the busier winter meetings, there may not actually be much to see. These meetings are more of a precursor to what’s to come once the hot stove season heats up.
Brian Cashman once called them a “necessary evil.” Two years ago, the longtime Yankees general manager produced one of the more memorable moments at the GM meetings when he angrily defended his club from criticism of their supposed overuse of analytics.
He’ll have to face more scrutiny this season as the Yankees once again exited the postseason far earlier than anticipated, one year after winning the American League pennant. But it’s his counterpart in Queens, president of baseball operations David Stearns, that could be facing the most intense scrutiny.
Stearns has not spoken publicly since the end of the regular season. Since then, the Mets parted ways with much of the on-field Major League staff, clearing the way for a new group that will be aiding manager Carlos Mendoza in 2026, his third season at the helm. The staff isn’t yet set, with a pitching coach and first base coach still needed.
Two of the Mets’ most important players, first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz, recently became free agents. They’re both expected to command high-dollar deals on the market. While the Mets, under owner Steve Cohen, have been known for high payrolls and big contracts, Stearns has been careful and strategic in how he has allocated money every winter. The reclamation project pitching staff might have worked in 2024, but it didn’t in 2025.
Now, fans are eager to see if Stearns will spend big on pitching, and spend big to retain Alonso, a homegrown hero who has hit more home runs than any other player in club history. Stearns typically doesn’t give much away in terms of plans for individual players, preferring instead to talk more about the general direction of his team.
The roster certainly has some holes between departing free agents and underperforming players. Upgrading the starting pitching is crucial this winter, but with four talented young right-handed starters coming through the pipeline, plus money committed to left-hander Sean Manaea and converted starter Clay Holmes next season, it’s not yet clear how much pitching the Mets want to add, and what kind of pitchers they want to add.
Last year, the Mets relied heavily on ground-ball pitchers, thinking they had the infield defense necessary to do so. It didn’t work out as planned. The infield situation is still a mess, without clear roles for Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña or Ronny Mauricio.
Center field remains a question as well, and there just so happens to be a productive center fielder on the free agent market who is coming off a strong season across town in the Bronx. Cody Bellinger would be a fit for the Mets, but he’s also still a fit for the Yankees. His departure has brought more uncertainty to an already uncertain outfield situation. Jasson Dominguez didn’t exactly look comfortable in left field last season. Trent Grisham, who hit a career-high 34 home runs and posted a career-best .810 OPS last season was extended a qualifying offer.
Kyle Tucker remains a name connected to the Yankees, though it’s not clear how strong that connection is. A right fielder, Tucker is coming off of a down season with the Chicago Cubs, but he was dominant for the Houston Astros before going to Chicago. Tucker received a qualifying offer, but the draft pick compensation that comes with signing players who rejected qualifying offers will only scare away a few suitors. High-payroll teams like the Yankees and Dodgers are expected to be in the mix.
For the Mets, Tucker isn’t exactly a clear-cut fit. While he would certainly help replace offensive production lost by Alonso, right field belongs to Juan Soto for the foreseeable future, so Tucker would have to move to left field, a spot currently occupied by Brandon Nimmo. The Mets have used Nimmo in center field in the past and the outfielder worked extremely hard to turn himself into a strong center fielder, posting 6 outs above average in 2022. Nimmo’s defense has declined over the last few seasons though, so moving him to center would be a gamble.
This is a week where executives typically keep their cards close to their vests, but by the end, we’ll know more about how the Mets and Yankees plan to proceed this winter.
