Mets Daily January 16, 2026

Kyle Tucker picked the Dodgers. Four years, $240M, opt-outs built in. The Mets were in the mix and still wound up watching L.A. do what L.A. does.
What the Mets actually offered. The number floating around was 4 years, $220M. Close enough to hurt, not close enough to win.
Stearns is selling rotation confidence, with a side of “we’ll see.” The tone is bounce-back bets (Senga, Manaea), plus internal arms, plus “trade if the cost isn’t a robbery.” Spring dates are creeping up, so the clock is real.
International market win. Mets signed Wandy Asigen for $3.9M, MLB Pipeline’s No. 2 international prospect. Yankees thought they had him, then the Mets walked off with the bag.
Tiny trade, clear purpose. Mets moved LHP prospect Franklin Gomez to Cleveland for international bonus pool money. Translation: they wanted more ammo to land Asigen and keep playing bully ball internationally.

Three-team trade shake-up. Rays, Angels, Reds made a deal centered on Josh Lowe and Gavin Lux, with Brock Burke in the mix. Depth moves now, leverage moves later.
International signing period opened. The league went shopping. The smart teams treat this like the draft, not like a hobby.
Tucker to the Dodgers changes the board. A premium bat coming off the market always triggers the domino panic. Agents love this part.

Braves: Lost LHP José Suarez on waivers to the Orioles. Roster churn in January is never glamorous, just necessary.
Phillies: Added a high-upside international name in Francisco Renteria. Big tools, big patience required.
Marlins: Kept doing Marlins things. Signed a pile of international talent and kept the pipeline moving.
Nationals: Dropped serious money on their international class, including multiple Top 50 types. Rebuilds live or die in the margins like this.

January 16, 1986: Mets acquired Tim Teufel from the Twins. Billy Beane went the other way, yes that Billy Beane.
Teufel’s Mets legacy: The “Teufel Shuffle” was real, and so was his value as a right-handed bat in that 1986 mix.
January 16 birthdays: Former Mets bench coach Dave Jauss is on the calendar.
More January 16 Mets weirdness: Pitcher Ron Herbel is remembered for a batting line so ugly it needs a warning label.
Bonus 1986 connective tissue: Dave Stapleton shows up in Mets orbit through the Game 6 “what if” universe that still gives Boston fans hives.
January 16, 2018: Mets signed Drew Gagnon to a minor league deal. Transaction season is undefeated.

2025 Mets baseline: 83-79, 766 runs scored, 715 runs allowed, +51 run differential. That profile screams “solid team that still managed to annoy you 2-3 nights a week.”
Why it matters for 2026: A +51 team usually gets back into the fight with two things: more reliable starting innings and fewer dead stretches at the plate. The Tucker miss makes that second part louder.