New York

Mets

The order, assuming Francisco Lindor is healthy enough to play on Opening Day, would be Lindor, Juan Soto batting second, and then Bichette hitting third. Presumably, Jorge Polanco would follow Bichette in the cleanup spot. It seems likely that Bichette will get plenty of RBI opportunities batting behind Soto, should this order come to fruition.

It was mentioned as a possibility yesterday, it graduated to “happening” today. Lindor is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season based on the timeline shared yesterday, but as we mentioned then, hamate bone injuries can negatively affect power output for months to come. His fantasy stock has definitely taken a bit of a downturn based on this news despite the fact that he might not miss any action.

With Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, Soto is already set to play left field for the Dominican Republic in the WBC, and the Mets believe it makes sense to simply keep him there. Soto came up as a left fielder and it’s been his primary position in three of his eight big-league seasons, so it’s not much of a change for him. For the Mets, it just means that Carson Benge and Brett Baty are now battling for the starting job in right, rather than left. Maybe it helps Benge a bit, since he has the stronger arm of the two.

If he was forced to go under the knife, Lindor would need around six weeks of recovery time. The superstar shortstop said that he’s confident that even if he did have the procedure done that he would be ready for the start of the regular season. Keep in mind though, historically, players who have had issues with their hamate bone have experienced a decline in their power output, at least initially.

This move was inevitable as Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery in October and will miss the entirety of the 2026 season. This was done as a procedural move to free up a spot on the Mets’ 40-man roster for the addition of Bryan Hudson on Tuesday.

With AJ Minter (lat) expected to open the season on the injured list, the Mets wanted to add second capable left-hander to their bullpen mix to work alongside Brooks Raley. Hudson will get the chance to compete for that job with Joe Jacques and Anderson Severino during spring training.

The White Sox designated Hudson for assignment over the weekend and the Mets took advantage by making them a cash offer for the 28-year-old southpaw. Hudson has proven to be a viable bullpen arm over the past couple of seasons and should add quality depth to the Mets’ bullpen mix.

The 27-year-old slugger will also have the ability to make up to an extra $500,000 in incentives. The former top prospect has slashed a miserable .215/.297/.388 with 52 homers, 163 RBI and a 437/166 K/BB ratio over 1,652 plate appearances to begin his big league career. He’ll add some left-handed thump off of the Mets’ bench.

The 26-year-old finds himself scrapping for playing time anywhere that he can find it after the Mets brought in Bo Bichette to be their regular third baseman. If Baty can show that he can adequately handle himself defensively in the outfield, it seems like that would be his clearest path to regular at-bats.

Ortiz didn’t pitch last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old middle reliever has made 24 appearances in the majors between the Phillies, Giants and Orioles since 2018. He’ll likely have to settle for a minor league contract but would represent a decent bullpen option for another club.