Mets Stars Soto and Lindor Must Find Better Unity

Mets' offseason moves emphasize Soto and Lindor as new cornerstones

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The New York Mets have made major offseason moves, including the departures of several key players like Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Edwin Díaz. However, the team is now emphasizing Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor as the new cornerstones, and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is hoping the two stars can find better unity going forward.

Why it matters

The Mets are undergoing a transition, moving on from a core group that had not accomplished enough together. Soto and Lindor are now expected to be the foundation of the team, and their ability to work in harmony will be crucial to the Mets' success in the coming seasons.

The details

The Mets made the difficult decision to let go of several popular players this offseason, including slugger Pete Alonso, outfielder Brandon Nimmo, and closer Edwin Díaz. This was done in an effort to reshape the team around Soto and Lindor, who are seen as the new cornerstones. The team is hoping that the two stars can develop better unity and lead the Mets to greater success than the previous core was able to achieve.

  • The Mets made their major offseason moves in the 2025-2026 offseason.

The players

Juan Soto

A superstar outfielder who is sixth all-time in home runs and 12th in OPS-plus through his age-26 season, behind only Hall of Famers and Albert Pujols.

Francisco Lindor

An All-Star shortstop who is now one of the Mets' key players and expected to be a cornerstone of the team alongside Juan Soto.

David Stearns

The President of Baseball Operations for the New York Mets, who is emphasizing Soto and Lindor as the new foundation of the team after the offseason roster moves.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We will look back on Juan Soto getting away as one of the most important positives in recent Yankees history.”

— Joel Sherman, Author (nypost.com)

The takeaway

The Mets have made the difficult decision to move on from their previous core group, betting that Soto and Lindor can develop the necessary unity to lead the team to greater success in the coming seasons. The ability of these two stars to work together harmoniously will be crucial to the Mets' future.