As we count down to free agency, the New York Mets have a lot of work to do. David Stearns outlined some of his team's biggest needs in his end-of-season press conference, with first base top of mind for most fans.

It is no secret that the Mets bungled their replacement plan for Pete Alonso. The combination of Jorge Polanco, Mark Vientos, and Brett Baty didn't come close to matching the Polar Bear's production.

Even though Jared Young showed promise and was rewarded with getting the most playing time down the stretch, the Mets would be better off finding at least someone who can platoon with him or start every day if his breakthrough isn't sustainable into next season.

The free agent market has a few unique first base options, including top Japanese infielder Teruaki Sato, who could help out. Sato has the most upside of any free-agent first-base option. But New York may want more certainty from their acquisitions to avoid the potential for another, as Stearns dubbed, "uncapped downward scenario" in 2027.

Why Alec Bohm is the perfect free agent target for the Mets

He may not be popular with Mets fans, but Alec Bohm fits their need at first base to a T. Bohm, who hit .249 with 15 home runs and 88 RBI with a .698 OPS in 155 games for the Philadelphia Phillies this season, can play both infield corners but did finish 2026 as the Phillies' starting first baseman after Bryce Harper moved to right field to accommodate Luis Arraez.

Philadelphia got a couple of clutch postseason hits from Bohm, who recorded an RBI double in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series with the Atlanta Braves before launching the go-ahead homer in the 10th inning of Game 2. Bohm went 4-for-12 in the series with an RBI in every game, making him one of the few productive Phillies hitters in this year's playoff run.

While he isn't the sexiest name out there, Bohm does offer some key traits the Mets could benefit from. One is stability and availability. Bohm has played at least 143 games in 4 of the past 5 seasons, with the lone outlier being 120 games in 2025, as he dealt with two separate injuries.

That track record is a lot better than Polanco's was when the Mets signed him. Bohm is also a relatively safe bet to contribute 15-20 home runs and 80-90 RBI while hitting around .250, which is a good floor in a lineup that often fell off a cliff after Carson Benge in the fourth spot.

Using Bohm with Young in a first base tandem would take advantage of Bohm's strong ability to mash lefties, as he hit .292 with seven home runs, 38 RBI, and an .816 OPS in 178 at-bats against them in 2026. That performance is not an outlier, as Bohm has hit .302 with an .853 OPS in his career against left-handed pitching (a sample size of over 1,000 plate appearances).

The big question with Bohm would be whether his personality would hold up under the scrutiny of the New York media. Bohm has had a few eye-raising incidents over the past few years, including a lawsuit against his parents alleging they mismanaged some of his finances, but playing in Philadelphia is about as good a barometer for dealing with the New York atmosphere as any in the country.

If the Mets deem that Bohm can handle playing in New York, it makes a lot of sense to make him their top free-agent hitting target, which could give them a stable hitter in the fifth or sixth spot in the batting order.

Bohm has also shown he can handle the spotlight of postseason baseball, which is encouraging since a lot of the Mets' players don't have that kind of experience.

In the end, Bohm is a floor-raising move that can plug one of the biggest holes on the Mets' roster, which shouldn't break the bank. A three-year deal would give the Mets, at worst, a platoon partner for Young with the potential to start every day there if Young regresses, buying them valuable time to assess whether they have a long-term starter at first in their prospect pipeline.

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