This off-season will test most of Juan Soto and the Mets. Now that their cross-town rivals made it to the October baseball despite losing Soto in free agency last season, it’s going to sting even more. Soto did all he could that could be asked of him, putting together an MVP-caliber season. Had the Mets not suffered such a meltdown, we’d certainly be discussing his award. After all, he has hit a career-high 43 home runs and led the league in walks (127) for the fourth time in his career. Even his .396 on-base percentage was the best in the National League. Despite his heroics, the Mets messed up big time!

Following the disappointing season, some changes are expected in the coming weeks, especially in the Mets’ coaching staff. But a big domino has already fallen. Glenn Sherlock—a long-standing fixture on the Mets coaching staff for most of the past decade—has decided to call it a career.

At 65, after spending the past three years as the team’s catching instructor, Sherlock has decided to retire. “I have been so fortunate to work with so many great people along the way.” He said after the sudden retirement announcement.

Sherlock had also served as the bench coach for Buck Showalter in the manager’s debut season with the organization. Wondering what the current staff looks like post his retirement?

John Gibbons (bench coach), Danny Barnes (strategy coach), Eric Chavez (hitting coach), Jeremy Barnes (assistant hitting coach), Jeremy Hefner (pitching coach), Desi Druschel (assistant pitching coach), Jose Rosado (bullpen coach), Antoan Richardson (first base coach), and Mike Sarbaugh (third base coach).

The rest of the coaching staff will be evaluated in the near future. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, there will be more changes coming along the way, except for the managerial role. President of baseball operations David Stearns had already confirmed earlier that Carlos Mendoza will return as manager in 2026.

For the next season, the Mets will have to retool their roster. And also maximize Soto’s prime years without wasting the rare talent they have in hand with the presence of Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte. Both of them are seen as the team’s de facto leaders.

However, the first major question is how the Mets are going to navigate Pete Alonso’s gap.

Will the Mets bring back Pete Alonso?

2026 will be marked as the second straight season where the team will have to work diligently to make Pete Alonso stay in Queens. But it’s even more difficult this time. Recently, SNY’s Danny Abriano broke down why the team should do all they can to reunite with Alonso.

If the Mets are weighing whether to reunite with Alonso, per Abriano, they should keep in mind that they don’t have anyone ready in hand to step in at first base after him. His offense is undoubtedly strong. Moreover, Alonso was part of the reason why the Mets were kept in the thick of the playoff race until the final day. Not having anybody as Alonso’s viable replacement will make it harder for the club to watch him walk away.

On the other hand, he will be turning 31 in 2026. That means he’s almost at the point where regression is expected. Plus, Alonso was at the bottom of the league in 2025 in terms of range/Outs Above Average. It ranked him in the second percentile.

His arm was also graded as poor (fifth percentile). He faced issues with throws this entire season. So, Alonso’s struggles are something NYM should consider.

Many now believe that moving forward, he will be used primarily as a DH.

It’s a massive decision to make for David Stearns and company. And as they weigh in on the pros and cons, who do you think could be a perfect replacement for Alonso?