5 under the radar free agents Mets should target during 2026-27 MLB offseason

The Mets should be big players at the very top of the free agent market this offseason, with ace left-hander Tarik Skubal a logical — and incredibly expensive — target.

Beyond Skubal, there are other intriguing, high upside starting pitchers such as Michael King.

If the Mets want a starter who profiles more as a No. 2 or No. 3, they could reunite with Clay Holmes, who was a strong clubhouse presence during his two seasons in Queens.

The relief market isn’t flush with upper echelon arms, but Adrian Morejon stands out as a potential game-changer.

Looking beyond the major league free agents, Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is expected to be posted and sign with a big league team this winter. Like Skubal, Sato would be a logical target given New York’s glaring need at first base.

But not every player the Mets sign will a big name.

To that end, here are five under the radar free agents David Stearns and the front office should target this offseason…

The Mets should be targeting a franchise-altering ace or at the very least someone (like King) who profiles at the top of the rotation. But after leaving their starting staff short each of the last two seasons — and that shortage helping to derail each campaign — New York also needs to bring in a second, legitimate rotation option who can pitch in the middle or back end of the rotation.

Soroka, coming off a strong season for the Diamondbacks, could fit the bill.

Once an emerging ace, Soroka’s career was derailed after his breakout 2019 season with the Braves due to a torn Achilles suffered during the shortened season in 2020. He didn’t return to big league action until 2023, and struggled with inconsistency (4.91 ERA) and injuries (forearm, shoulder, biceps) as he spent time with the Braves, White Sox, Nationals, and Cubs between 2023 and 2025.

This season for the Diamondbacks, Soroka bounced back, posting a 3.41 ERA (3.19 FIP) and 1.08 WHIP in 116.0 innings (21 starts, one relief appearance) while walking 2.3 batters per nine and striking out 8.8 per nine.

In 2026, Soroka’s fastball and breaking stuff graded out as elite, via Baseball Savant. His two most utilized pitches were the four-seam fastball and slurve, which he threw 32 percent of the time each. The slurve (which recently became a weapon for Soroka) was especially effective, with hitters slugging just .226 against it (.267 xSLG). Soroka’s advanced metrics were a bit of a mixed bag, but he was above average to elite when it came to average exit velocity allowed, chase percentage, strikeout percentage, walk percentage, and hard hit percentage.

Soroka’s injury history and lack of recent innings are concerns, but his upside and age (he’ll be entering his age-29 season) are pluses. And if he’s a back end option in a rotation with a new ace at the top, the risk is mitigated.

The Mets traded their two left-handed relief cogs (Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter) at the deadline because they were both pending free agents, which created an opportunity for Nate Lavender.

Lavender, whose elite extension results in the ball jumping on hitters, ran with his chance while putting up a 1.66 ERA (1.85 FIP) and 0.73 WHIP in 21.2 innings while striking out 10.8 per nine. Hard-throwing Cionel Perez, who is arbitration-eligible, is another left-handed relief option if the Mets tender him a contract.

Either way, it would make sense for New York to pursue another left-handed reliever, with Vesia a potentially strong fit.

Vesia has been a weapon for the Dodgers since 2021, with a 2.66 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 328.0 innings. He misses bats at a prodigious rate (12.0 strikeouts per nine in his six seasons in Los Angeles), but can also be prone to bases on balls (his career walk rate is 4.3 per nine and it was 5.0 per nine in 2026).

Ahead of his age-31 season and coming off another stellar year, Vesia should be in demand.

The Mets had interest in Loaisiga during the 2024-25 offseason before he ultimately returned to the Yankees. So it would make sense for them to have interest again.

After becoming one of the key cogs in the Yankees’ bullpen, Loaisiga’s seasons in 2023 and 2024 were seriously impacted because of Tommy John surgery. He returned for the Yanks in 2025, but didn’t round back into form until this past season.

Apr 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In 67.0 innings for the Diamondbacks in 2026, Loaisiga had a 2.42 ERA (2.88 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP while allowing just three homers all year and walking a minuscule 1.7 batters per nine.

Loaisiga relies mainly on a sinker that averages a tick under 98 mph and a changeup that averages 91 mph. He doesn’t strike out a lot of batters, but is phenomenal when it comes to limiting hard contact and generating ground balls.

In 2026, Loaisiga was in the 93rd percentile or better in average exit velocity allowed, chase percentage, barrel percentage, hard hit percentage, and ground ball percentage.

Mahle, who would fit near the back end of the rotation, is coming off a season where he compiled a 3.99 ERA and matching 3.99 FIP for the Giants and Braves over 149.0 regular season innings. He was also terrific in the playoffs for Atlanta, with a 1.35 ERA in 13.1 innings over two starts (one each in the Wild Card Series and NLDS).

He’s not someone whose stuff will wow you, but his four-seam fastball has graded out well each of the last two seasons despite not being overpowering. Mahle’s other main pitch is a splitter that opposing batters slugged just .354 against in 2026.

Mahle’s career ERA in 10 big league seasons with the Reds, Rangers, Twins, Giants, and Braves is 4.01.

Tommy John surgery in May of 2023 wiped out the better part of two seasons for Mahle, but he’s exceeded 120 innings in four of his six full big league seasons, and 112 innings in five of six.

The Mets should be seeking a first baseman, and France will be one of the most intriguing names on the market.

What will be interesting to watch is whether the price to sign him stays relatively low because of the offensive player he was during the first seven seasons of his career (108 OPS+), or if it spikes after how France performed for the Padres in 2026.

In 133 games for San Diego, France slashed .295/.363/.502 (.865 OPS, 139 OPS+) with 21 homers and 24 doubles. Was it an aberration or a late breakout from a player in his age-31 season?

A look at France’s advanced metrics shows serious improvement in his average exit velocity and hard hit percentage, so what he did this season wasn’t a fluke. At the same time, it’s fair to expect some regression going forward given the player he was before 2026.

What’s not in question is how good France’s first base defense has been the last two seasons. He won the NL Gold Glove in 2025 after being in the 96th percentile in OAA, and followed that up by being in the 93rd percentile in OAA in 2026.