Mets Daily January 28, 2026

Mets In The News Today

Bo Bichette is skipping the 2026 WBC (Team Brazil) so he can lock in with the Mets and keep getting reps at third base. Translation: new city, new role, no distractions.
Freddy Peralta sounded open to an extension, just not in “sign the paperwork before he finds his coffee spot” mode. Smart. Let him breathe, then talk numbers.
Carlos Mendoza walks into 2026 with the heat turned up. New-look roster, big expectations, and the kind of season that decides who gets remembered and who gets replaced.
Mets add infield depth with Grae Kessinger on a minor league deal. Not flashy, very useful, especially once March injuries start doing March things.
Spring clock check: pitchers and catchers are close, first workouts and Grapefruit League games are right around the corner. The “it’s only January” excuse is almost dead.

Framber Valdez is still the big fish on the pitching market. Every contender with a rotation problem is pretending they don’t, then calling anyway.
Royals take a flier on Aaron Sanchez (minor league deal). Former All Star, now in the “if this clicks, we look smart” bucket.
Braves claimed José Suarez off waivers and shoved roster pieces around to fit him. Atlanta loves a low-cost arm like it’s a hobby.
Offseason ‘winners’ chatter is everywhere right now, mostly people grading January like it counts as October.

Braves

Waiver-wire shuffle with José Suarez, more bullpen lottery tickets, more “trust our pitching lab” energy.

Phillies

Quiet stretch, which usually means they’re either done or plotting something annoying.

Marlins

Same winter vibe as always, spend carefully, sell “upside,” pray for internal breakouts.

Nationals

If you keep hearing trade smoke around Washington, it’s not your imagination. Rebuild math stays undefeated.

January 28, 1967: The Mets drafted Ken Singleton (third overall in the old January draft). A legit on-base bat that later became a painful “what if.”
Birthday nod: Tsuyoshi Shinjo was born January 28, and nobody will ever convince me baseball needs less flair.

Freddy Peralta, 2025: 17 wins, 2.70 ERA, finished top five in NL Cy Young voting. Ace behavior.
Bo Bichette, 2025: hit .311 with 18 HR and 94 RBI, now trying to make third base look normal.
Depth matters: the Mets have been stacking non-roster and flexible pieces lately for a reason, 162 games eats “perfect rosters” alive.