Mets’ Offseason Plan B revealed

Donovan, 29, hit .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs, 32 doubles and 50 RBIs over 118 games for St. Louis last season. The high-contact lefty has struck out in only 13.5% of his MLB plate appearances since debuting in 2022, and in 2025 he was named to his first All-Star Game.

A former Gold Glove winner at the utility spot, Donovan is a capable defender at almost every position. He has played primarily second base and left field but also has experience at shortstop (106 innings), third base (270 innings), first base (151 innings) and right field (205 innings).

With Bichette moving over to third base for New York, the versatile Brett Baty is left without an everyday home in the infield. Baty likely would have been the Mets’ primary third baseman had Bichette signed elsewhere, but now he is set to compete with veteran Tyrone Taylor and No. 2 prospect Carson Benge for the starting job in left field.

Before parting with No. 5 prospect Brandon Sproat in the Peralta trade, the 25-year-old was a candidate to earn a spot in a Mets rotation that had plenty of depth but lacked a proven ace. While Bassitt and Gallen may not have brought the same upside as their latest acquisition, both would have offered much-needed durability to a rotation that was hit hard by injuries in 2025.

Bassitt, who turns 37 next month, has recorded at least 30 starts in each of the past four seasons. The former Mets right-hander tossed 170.1 innings for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2025 regular season, going 11-9 with a 3.96 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 rate. He moved to the bullpen for the ALCS and was impactful throughout their run to the World Series, posting a 1.04 ERA and 1.52 FIP across seven postseason appearances.

Gallen, 30, has thrown more innings (734) than all but two pitchers in MLB over the past four seasons — Logan Webb (820) and Framber Valdez (767.2). The former All-Star and Cy Young finalist finished with a career-worst 4.83 ERA over 33 starts in 2025, but in his final 11 outings he looked more like his old self, posting a 3.32 ERA across 65 innings.

Read More: Mets Sign Veteran Reliever to Bolster Bullpen

Since Gallen turned down the qualifying offer earlier this offseason, signing him would have cost the Mets their third- and sixth-highest picks in the upcoming draft. They previously lost their second- and fifth-highest picks for signing Bichette. Ultimately, they were able to address their starting pitching need without subjecting themselves to escalating draft-pick penalties.

The addition of Peralta gives New York a proven, durable frontline arm to pair with Nolan McLean at the top of the rotation. He has recorded at least 30 starts in each of the past three seasons and, since 2021, owns a 3.30 ERA with a 29.6 strikeout rate.

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