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Korner Konfidential — Mets Hot Stove Report: Day 2

Writer: Mark Rosenman
Mark Rosenman
2 minutes ago
10 min read

Day 2 — Saturday, October 31, 2026. Evening edition. The wire stayed quiet on signings — the market doesn't open until Monday — but the day still brought one real addition and a fresh round of predictions. The real addition: Japanese ace Kaima Taira is officially being posted, and the Mets are one of the clubs that scouted him. The talk: SNY's John Harper has the Mets missing on Skubal but landing King, Holmes and Sato — with a twist at the Korners. Everything below is sorted the way it should be: what's actually being reported, and what's just being talked about.


🔥 THE BIG BOARD — Reports



Tarik Skubal, dealing for Detroit. Photo: Jeffrey Hyde, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).


Tarik Skubal is the winter. The two-time Cy Young winner is the biggest prize on the market — 2.72 ERA, 186 strikeouts and a 0.96 WHIP in 2026 — and the Mets need an ace the way Citi Field needs a seventh-inning stretch. The complications are real: he had elbow surgery to remove loose bodies this past season, on top of a Tommy John and a flexor surgery in his past, and the price tag starts somewhere north of $300 million. Whether Steve Cohen writes that check after two straight losing seasons is the question this entire offseason hangs on.




Michael King. Photo: YES Network, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).


Michael King is a free agent — and the Mets have done this dance before. King declined his player option with San Diego on Thursday (Jon Heyman reported it first). He threw a career-high 185 innings with a 3.21 ERA, and the Mets liked him enough last winter to hold a video meeting with him during the Winter Meetings before he re-signed with the Padres. The interest was real once. Watch it again.




Clay Holmes. Photo: Mark Rosenman, Kinerskorner.com.


Clay Holmes is back on the market, too. The former Met declined his player option with the Cubs (per ESPN's Jesse Rogers). Holmes was having a fine season in Queens before a line drive fractured his fibula and he was moved at the deadline. Heyman's theory of the winter: Stearns convinces Cohen there's more value in signing two front-line starters — King and Holmes — than in paying Skubal alone. It's the most Stearns sentence ever written, and it might even be right.


Sources: Heavy · SNY



Sonny Gray. Photo: NickB149, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).


Two more arms hit the market Friday. Sonny Gray declined his mutual option with Boston after the best year of his career — 18–5 with a 2.72 ERA at age 36 (Boston Herald). And Nick Martinez declined his $20 million mutual option with Tampa Bay, days after pitching in the World Series (Heyman). Neither fits Stearns' usual under-30 playbook, but “usual” has produced two straight Octobers at home.


Sources: Sportsnaut



Teruaki Sato at Koshien. Photo: とらとうはんしん, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).


The Sato watch continues. Japanese Triple Crown winner Teruaki Sato — .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs — is coming to MLB, and the Mets have been linked to him for months. The link got louder in September when a photo surfaced of David Stearns in the stands at a game where Sato homered. Presidents of baseball operations don't fly to Japan for the food. File under: real interest, unknown price.



Another Japanese ace is coming — and the Mets have looked. The Seibu Lions confirmed Friday that they will post right-hander Kaima Taira, who led Nippon Professional Baseball with a 1.36 ERA this season — 12–5 with a 0.96 WHIP and 141 strikeouts in 146 innings, one year after saving 31 games out of the bullpen. He turns 27 next month, he's listed at 5-foot-8, and whether clubs see him as a starter or a reliever is the debate that will set his price. The Mets link is real but early: a source told FanSided that the Mets were among the many clubs that scouted him in Japan this season — the same legwork they did on Sato. The posting window opens in early November; he'll have 45 days to sign, with the clock freezing if the expected December 1 lockout hits.



One name comes off the trade board. The Marlins have exercised Sandy Alcantara's 2027 club option, so the right-hander whose name surfaces in Mets trade talk every single winter is staying in Miami for now. Cross him off the idea lists until further notice.


Sources: Metsmerized


Housekeeping. The Mets claimed infielder/outfielder Kyren Paris off waivers from the Angels and designated Cristian Pache for assignment. Three more 40-man cuts are due by Monday evening, when Tylor Megill, Jorge Polanco and Reed Garrett have to come off the 60-day injured list. Vidal Bruján and MJ Melendez have already elected minor league free agency.



An old friend is a free agent — on the Mets' dime. The Athletics declined Jeff McNeil's $15.75 million club option on Friday, so the 34-year-old — eight seasons a Met before last winter's trade — is back on the open market after hitting .264 with nine home runs in 2026. The fine print stings a little: in the trade that sent him out of Queens, the Mets agreed to cover the $2 million buyout if the option was declined, so the check comes from Flushing either way (MLB Trade Rumors). Is a reunion in the cards? Nothing reported says so — the early read is the Mets moved on a year ago and stayed moved on. File this under ex-Met news, not a rumor.


Sources: Heavy · ClutchPoints


One more arm on the pile. Dustin May — yes, the Dustin May who started Game 4 of the World Series for Milwaukee on Tuesday — declined his $20 million mutual option with the Brewers and is a free agent (Jon Heyman). The 29-year-old went 7–9 with a 4.70 ERA in 31 starts between St. Louis and Milwaukee, took a $500,000 buyout instead, and his average fastball was back up to 96.9 mph. No Mets link has been reported — file him with Gray and Martinez in the veteran-arm tier that keeps growing while everybody waits on Skubal.


Sources: Metsmerized · theScore


Front office and rehab news. The Mets have hired Deron Johnson as a special assignment scout — more than three decades with the Minnesota Twins, including a run as their scouting director, and most recently a senior advisor (Will Sammon of The Athletic). And a number Mets fans will like: Tylor Megill, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in Port St. Lucie, sat 96–97 mph and touched 98 in live bullpen sessions (Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). It matters on the calendar, too — Megill is one of the three players who have to come off the 60-day injured list by Monday evening.


Sources: Metsmerized


🗣️ THE SPECULATION DESK — Talk, Not News



Drew Rasmussen. Photo: Raysfanjake1984, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).


The Rasmussen trade idea. Sports Illustrated makes the case for trading for Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen — a 2.67 ERA All-Star season and a 2.19 ERA across four postseason starts. The Rays are expected to pick up his $20 million option, he has one year of control left, and Tampa trades stars before paying them; that's the logic. The caution: two Tommy John surgeries. Understand what this is — an argument, not a report. Nobody has sourced the Mets to Rasmussen. Yet.



A bullpen name to know. SI's fit rankings put Dodgers lefty Alex Vesia atop the reliever list for the Mets — 2.64 ERA, 74 strikeouts, and left-handed hitters managed a .471 OPS against him. With four relievers traded at the deadline and only Devin Williams locked into the back end, the bullpen needs bodies. Vesia is a fit on paper; there's no reporting tying him to Queens yet.



The Arraez idea. NorthJersey.com's six-moves plan pairs a Skubal push with Luis Arraez — the toughest out in baseball — as the contact antidote next to Marcus Semien. Opinion, not reporting, but after a season of all-or-nothing at-bats, it will resonate with a lot of you.



The Manaea trade prediction. Sportsnaut's bold-predictions tour of the NL East picks Sean Manaea as the Met most likely to be dealt before Opening Day — serviceable bulk in 2026 (4.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 150⅔ innings split between starting and bulk relief), a free agent after the 2027 season, and exactly the kind of reliable innings a pitching-desperate club might pay for. Their guessed landing spots: the Athletics, Diamondbacks and White Sox. Be clear about what this is: a prediction in a predictions column. Nobody has reported the Mets shopping Manaea.


Sources: Sportsnaut


The very large first-base idea. MLB Trade Rumors' Top 40 trade candidates list does include Rafael Devers — the Giants tried to move a big contract at the deadline, Devers finished with 37 home runs and a monster second half, and he's owed $211 million over seven more years. That's the reported part, and it stops in San Francisco. The Mets part comes from Sportskeeda's “bold trades teams should pursue” list, which sends Devers to Queens to fix first base and take some pressure off Juan Soto. An idea, not a rumor — but with first base still an open question in Flushing, expect his name to keep surfacing all winter.



The Harper prediction. SNY's John Harper played the whole winter out loud: Skubal signs with the Cubs — eight years at roughly $45 million a year, outbidding the Mets and the Dodgers — while the Mets land Michael King and Clay Holmes for the rotation and sign Teruaki Sato. The twist is defensive: Harper keeps Sato at third base, his natural spot, and floats Bo Bichette across the diamond to first base if needed. Understand what this is: a prediction, not reporting — nobody has sourced the Mets to any of it yet. But it is the cleanest statement yet of the winter's fork in the road: one ace, or two starters and a bat.



The low-cost trade list. Sports Illustrated's latest idea file names three cheaper trade targets: Rangers first baseman Jake Burger (28 home runs, two years of control) for the first-base hole, Marlins reliever Anthony Bender (2.62 ERA, entering his final year of control) for the stripped-down bullpen, and Giants lefty Sam Hentges (3.19 ERA, mid-90s heat from a 6-foot-8 frame) as the left-handed relief option. All three are fits on paper. Not one of the three has been reported as an actual Mets conversation. Talk tier, filed accordingly.



Beat Tweets


The beat is quiet today. We swept the Mets beat — DiComo, Puma, Sammon, Britton, Martino, Gelbs, Ragazzo, Heyman, Sherman, Goodman, Albanese, Mastracco and Pantorno — and there were no news-bearing posts to report since yesterdays edition: no signings, no options, no sourced reports. The next real news window is Monday, when free agents can sign and the 40-man cuts come due. When the beat talks, the tweets will be right here, embedded — never linked out.


WINTER BALL & FALL LEAGUE WATCH


The stove isn't the only thing still warm. A small army of Mets — big leaguers, top prospects, and a few names only the true sickos know — is playing real baseball right now in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico and Arizona. This section stays in the Korner all winter, updated as the numbers move, because on the slow news days this IS the baseball.


DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (LIDOM). The headline act is Jefferson Rojas, the Mets' No. 1 prospect, playing third base for the Gigantes del Cibao. In just his second game he went 3-for-4 with two home runs — the first a 401-foot shot at 106 mph off the bat, the second 429 feet — and both blasts are right here. Through his first seven games: .250/.308/.583 while learning a new position on the fly. Also in the league: Christopher Morel (Águilas Cibaeñas) is off to a .200 start with a homer, bouncing between first base and the outfield corners; Vidal Bruján (Escogido) is at .214/.343/.464 — yes, the same Bruján who elected minor league free agency this week; infielder Eddinson Paulino is getting regular run at second; and reliever Ofreidy Gómez has thrown scoreless innings. (Baseball America)




VENEZUELA (LVBP). Francisco Alvarez made his winter ball debut this week for the Navegantes del Magallanes — sharing a clubhouse with Luis Torrens, who's been moonlighting at first base and DH (2-for-14 early; it's winter ball, folks). Reliever Joander Suarez has four appearances (5.79 ERA), and relief prospect Saul García just joined the Magallanes roster. (Metsmerized)


MEXICO (LMP). Marco Vargas has cooled after his hot start — he's at .237/.293/.345 in 11 games for the Yaquis de Obregón, though the legs still work: four stolen bases, and his latest line was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Catcher Alejandro Urías has seen spot duty behind the plate. (Metsmerized)


ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE. The Mets' contingent plays for the Surprise Saguaros (10-8), and Boston Baro owns the loudest line: a .814 OPS highlighted by a three-run homer and a steal of home in the same game. On the mound, Ryan Lambert (five scoreless, hitless innings, seven strikeouts, 98.7 mph on the gun) and Brendan Girton (4⅔ scoreless) still haven't allowed a run, and Irving Cota has 14 strikeouts in 11 innings (3.27 ERA). Cole Mathis (.580 OPS) has the other Mets homer. The honest lines: Bruin Agbayani is hitting .118 as he works back from injury, and Calvin Ziegler has had a rough go (10 runs in four innings). The AFL wraps up November 14. (Amazin' Avenue's full stat lines)


Full winter ball stats for every Mets farmhand, updated weekly, live at Baseball America. If a Met does something down there, you'll read about it here .


📋 RUMOR TRACKER


Tarik Skubal — The prize. Market opens Monday. Price: $300M+. Status: everybody's Plan A, nobody's promise.


Michael King — Free agent as of Thursday. Mets met with him last winter. Status: circle back.


Clay Holmes — Free agent. Heyman's two-for-one theory pairs him with King. Status: reunion watch.


Teruaki Sato — Posting watch. Stearns was photographed at his game in September. Status: interest real, price unknown.


Kaima Taira — NEW Sat Oct 31: Seibu confirmed his posting; the Mets are among the clubs that scouted him (FanSided source). Status: posting watch — window opens early November.


Drew Rasmussen — Rays hold a $20M option; one year of control. Status: trade speculation only.


Sonny Gray / Nick Martinez — Both newly free as of Friday. Status: veteran fallback tier.


Bo Bichette — ✅ RESOLVED. Opted in for 2027 — see today's Korner column, “Bo Knows: 42 Million Reasons.”


40-man roster — Three cuts due by Monday evening. Megill is touching 98 mph in rehab in Port St. Lucie. Status: clock running.



Jeff McNeil (right) during his season with the A's. Photo: Mark Rosenman, Kinerskorner.com.


Jeff McNeil — Newly free Friday: the A's declined his option and the Mets cover the $2M buyout. Status: ex-Met on the market; no reunion reporting.


Dustin May — Newly free Friday: declined his $20M mutual option with Milwaukee days after starting a World Series game. Status: veteran-arm tier; no Mets link reported.


Sean Manaea — Sportsnaut predicts he's the Met dealt before Opening Day. Status: speculation only — no shopping reported.


Rafael Devers — MLBTR lists him as a trade candidate in San Francisco; the Mets link is an idea piece only. Status: watch, don't believe yet.


Sandy Alcantara — ✅ OFF THE BOARD Sat Oct 31: the Marlins exercised his 2027 club option. Status: staying in Miami — cross him off the trade lists.


That's the stove for today. Same time tomorrow — if the Mets do something at 11 PM, the Tracker hears about it first.


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