Pat Ragazzo of SI reports the Mets and OF Cristian Pache are in agreement on a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to spring training. Pache is a former top prospect who can play all three outfield positions and last played in the majors in 2024.
He owns a lifetime .181/.243/.275 (.518 OPS) line across 251 games with the Braves, Athletics, Phillies, Orioles and Marlins. A defensive-first player, he ranked in the 92nd percentile in arm strength in 2024 (91.4 mph), and while he didn’t qualify for other defensive metrics, he posted a +4 OAA.
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Jarren Duran & Brendan Donovan
The Kansas City Royals previously signed OF Lane Thomas this offseason and traded for OF Isaac Collins from the Milwaukee Brewers. However, they may not be done in the outfield department, per The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. He reports the Royals are interested in adding another outfielder, and Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran is high on their list — but likely if Boston lowers their asking price for a return package.
Duran is under club control for three more seasons and will likely require a hefty package to acquire him. The Royals believe any trade involving Duran with them would have to include one of their star pitchers, southpaw Cole Ragans, who also has three years left under club control.
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported that utility player Brendan Donovan is also high on the Royals’ list, but the Giants and Mariners are likely the front-runners there.
Of course, the Mets need outfield help, even before they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers. Duran has been an interesting name for the Mets, as he holds a career .267/.328/.452 (.780 OPS) line, and had led the AL in triples in 2024 and 2025 (14, 13), along with leading the majors in doubles in 2024 (48) and hitting the third-most doubles in 2025 (41).
Ketel Marte
Rosenthal also reports the Diamondbacks are open to trading Ketel Marte, specifically looking for starting pitching in return. The 32-year-old switch-hitting second baseman is owed $102.5 million across the next six seasons (with an additional $41 million in deferrals). Marte has a five-team no-trade list, which includes the Yankees, Pirates, Giants, Cardinals and Athletics.
With the Mets acquiring Marcus Semien to play predominantly second base and still holding onto Jeff McNeil (for now), it’s unclear if Marte would fit into the Mets’ plans moving forward. Marte is a career .281/.351/.472 (.823 OPS) player.
Josh Bell
The first baseman market is quickly taking off with another bat off the market. Switch-hitting slugger Josh Bell and the Twins agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with a mutual option for 2027, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. After losing Pete Alonso, the Mets signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year deal with plans to play him at first and use him as a DH. If the team were to acquire another first baseman, the free agent options now include: Ryan O’Hearn, Carlos Santana, Nathaniel Lowe, Paul Goldschmidt, Justin Turner and Rhys Hoskins.
