After losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz on back-to-back days, the Mets tried to steady things by signing Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal. But instead of calming the situation, the move has drawn criticism from an ESPN insider, who believes it doesn’t actually fix what the Mets just lost. The concern is straightforward. Polanco doesn’t replace Alonso’s power, and the lineup still lacks protection for Juan Soto. What was meant to stop the bleeding has only raised more questions about David Stearns’ plan moving forward.

To MLB analyst A.J. Pierzynski, it didn’t. He called it a “panic signing.” And now, ESPN’s Jim Bowden echoed that sentiment, saying the move was as confusing as it gets and may have actually made the Mets more vulnerable instead of fixing their problems.

“Why do the Mets make this move? And where is he going to play? And what’s his role going to be?” Bowden wonders. “This year, you’ve got rid of the lineup protector for one Soto, because now you have Polanco as your DH. Headscratcher.”

Now that the Mets have landed Polanco, the big question is simple. Where is he even going to play?

Polanco is a natural second baseman, but that spot is already spoken for. The Mets have committed Marcus Semien to second, while Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña remain part of the infield mix. Brett Baty and Mark Vientos occupy third base, and Francisco Lindor firmly locks down shortstop. That leaves one obvious question: where exactly does Polanco fit? With the rest of the infield settled, first base or DH appears to be the only realistic options.

According to Jim Bowden, “They said primarily first base and DH. He’s played exactly ONE inning of ONE game at first base in his Major League career.”

But here’s the catch! Polanco’s lone appearance at the first came on April 6 last season against the Giants, when he came in with two outs in the ninth. That’s it. So, no wonder there’s concern about what the Mets are actually planning for next season.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: who did Polanco replace? Pete Alonso?

Alonso wrapped up 2025 with 38 HRs and a .272 average. In contrast, Polanco is coming off a season with 26 HRs and a .265 average. So on paper, Alonso was clearly the more reliable bat, especially as protection behind Juan Soto. Still, David Stearns moved on from the team’s home run leader and replaced him with someone who, statistically at least, doesn’t match that production.

The financial angle doesn’t fully clarify things either. Reportedly, Alonso signed with the Orioles for $31 million AAV, while Polanco got $20 million AAV from the Mets. So, for an extra $11 million per year, the Mets let go of their proven veteran slugger.

Well, if you’re also scratching your head, you’re definitely not alone.

The Mets’ new culture is under scrutiny

Well, there may be arguments about the Mets’ former manager, Terry Collins, saying, “This core has not won. Maybe it’s time to go with a different core.” And guess what, Stearns may have just listened to this suggestion. He broke down the team’s core by letting go of Alonso, Nimmo, and Díaz. However, for Bowden, this approach might work for a small-market team like the Brewers but not for the Mets.

“What we’re doing is we’re trying to win as we won in Milwaukee, and winning in Milwaukee works in a small market. This is a different job in New York,” Bowden added. For the unversed, before joining the Mets, Stearns ran the Brewers from 2015 to 2022, and his track record there was solid. During that stretch, Milwaukee posted a 554–479 record, good for a .536 winning percentage, and made the postseason four years in a row.

But big-market teams, especially in New York, operate differently. Success is usually built around a stable core. Look at the Yankees: they shuffle pieces all the time, but cornerstone players like Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole remain untouched. That’s the foundation.

So, the concern is that by breaking up the Mets’ own core, Stearns is trying to apply his Brewers blueprint in a market where that approach may not be practical. For Bowden, that’s a recipe for disaster.

That said, Stearns’ strategy does have its defenders. Former MLB president David Samson backed the decision, arguing that keeping Alonso on a long-term deal didn’t align with financial efficiency. But that raises an obvious question—hasn’t financial efficiency always been the language of small-market teams?

If that mindset is now being applied in New York, Mets fans may need to brace themselves for a cultural shift. And if that’s the case, Bowden’s concern doesn’t sound unreasonable at all.