What could the Mets’ Opening Day lineup look like without Pete Alonso?

ORLANDO — Even if the Mets were able to retain Pete Alonso in free agency this winter, their starting lineup wasn’t a finished product.

Far from it.

Brandon Nimmo’s departure in a trade with the Rangers earlier this winter opened a starting spot in left field. Unless prospect Carson Benge wows the Mets at big-league camp next spring, Tyrone Taylor is in line to be their starter in center. And what about designated hitter? Marcus Semien, the return for Nimmo from Texas, has been the only import so far and he was acquired primarily for his defense.

Now, the Mets need to address each of those needs carrying over from a disappointing 83-win season and they must replace the franchise’s home run king in the heart of their order.

Alonso signed a five-year deal worth $155 million with the Orioles on Wednesday. It’s an exit in free agency that the Mets could’ve prevented with their financial resources, but they made it clear this offseason — even dating back to the way they handled Alonso’s dip into free agency last winter — that they weren’t comfortable giving him that many years or that much money. The organization was so set on that disciplined approach, looking beyond the sentimentality connected to a fan favorite like Alonso, that they reportedly didn’t even make an official offer to the slugging first baseman. They saw the writing on the wall as other bids started coming in.

So, what happens now in the Mets’ lineup as they prepare for the post-Alonso era?

Here’s an updated prediction of what New York’s starting lineup will look like on Opening Day next spring knowing that Alonso and his irreplaceable power production won’t be wearing a Mets uniform:

1 - Francisco Lindor, SS

2 - Juan Soto, RF

3 - Yandy Díaz, DH

4 - Cody Bellinger, 1B

5 - Francisco Alvarez, C

6 - Brett Baty, 3B

7 - Marcus Semien, 2B

8 - Carson Benge, LF

9 - Jake Meyers, CF

In this scenario, the Mets spend to sign Bellinger while using prospect capital to acquire Díaz from the Rays and pitching depth to acquire Meyers from the Astros.

Bellinger profiles as a great fit for the Mets now that Alonso is gone. He can play elite defense in the corner outfield spots while taking care of business at first base, another impact bat to pair with Soto and Lindor near the top of the lineup.

On one hand, it wouldn’t be smart for the Mets to suddenly overpay wildly on another aging position player like Bellinger after they showed restraint with Alonso. They’ll be in a bidding war with other high-spending contenders here, including the Yankees.

Conversely, why are the Mets suddenly so conscientious about pushing their chips forward? What happened to capitalizing on their owner’s deep pockets? Bellinger would fit the run prevention initiative for the Mets better than Alonso and even if he’s not a right-handed hitter, it’s been well-documented that Bellinger can excel against left-handed pitching, assisting in providing protection behind Soto.

Will Sammon of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Mets will be “opportunistic” in free agency, repeating that they’d stay disciplined on the open market. If that’s the case, they could miss out on Bellinger. Cohen has the ability to make sure that doesn’t happen and the Mets can make a statement.

The Mets have their hands full finding another right-handed hitter who can mash like Alonso, but Díaz would help fill that void. It’s unclear if the Rays are finally going to move him, but he’s one of the toughest outs in baseball from the right side with eye-catching metrics when it comes to quality of contact and contact rate.

This would be a DH-only fit since Díaz is a poor defender, but that’s fine for the Mets. Díaz has slashed .301/.379/.461 over his last four seasons with the Rays. He’s set to make $12 million in 2026 with an option for the following season, which is affordable. It’s worth noting as well that Díaz is coming off a season where he had more success against right-handed pitching — with his presence, those righties will need to think twice before pitching around Soto (or intentionally walking him).

Meyers was included in our previous lineup projection last month. Since then, more rumors have surfaced regarding his availability via trade. He’s an elite defender in the outfield coming off a career year at the plate. Houston would be willing to move Meyers for a big-league starter with team control, according to a recent report from The Athletic. The Mets have a surplus of major-league starters and are inclined to make more need-for-need trades like the Nimmo deal. After all, they’ll need to make space in their rotation if they successfully add a top-shelf starter or two between now and Opening Day, another pressing item on their offseason to-do list.

Meyers is under contract for two more years, so looking at him through a long-term lens, he won’t block Benge and other prospects in the organization. In the meantime, there aren’t many outfielders who cover more ground than Meyers and even if he regresses offensively — after breaking out in 2025 with a .292 average and .727 OPS — he’d still be a valuable piece of the puzzle.

Looking at the way Benge finished last season in Triple-A, there’s a good chance he’ll need more time in the minor leagues before he’s ready to step in with the Mets. Then again, the organization is very high on the top prospect and he’ll have a chance to earn a spot at camp next spring.

The alternative as of now would be to use Jeff McNeil in left field or have Mark Vientos play first (with Bellinger in left). McNeil and Vientos could both be used in trades as the Mets try to get better at different positions across the diamond. This time last year, Vientos seemed like he was destined to be a fixture in the Mets’ lineup, but his down year in 2025 (with his defensive issues at the corner infield spots) make him more of a question mark.

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