Mets Among Suitors For Ty France

First baseman Ty France was one of the underrated gems of the 2026 season, batting .295/.363/.502 with a 141 wRC+ for the Padres after entering camp on a non-roster deal. Now, he rates as the No. 23 free agent on MLBTR’s Top 50 list as well as arguably the best first baseman available. Just over a week ago, it was reported that “multiple teams” are showing interest in France. The Mets are one of those suitors, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post reports that New York has touched base with France’s camp as they look to upgrade at first base. The Mets got terrible production at the cold corner this year, so it’s no surprise they’re exploring all options. First basemen around the league combined for a 114 wRC+ in 2026, with all but six teams getting above-average hitting out of that spot. Unfortunately, the Mets were one of those six clubs. The team ranked second worst with an 85 wRC+ at first base. Only the Diamondbacks (74 wRC+) got less production. For New York, a lot of that trouble comes down to the regression of Mark Vientos and the injury-driven failure of the Jorge Polanco experiment. Polanco signed a two-year, $40MM deal last December, and the Mets planned to use him at first base and DH. Instead, he hardly played at either spot thanks to a pair of long IL stints for a right wrist contusion and left ankle bursitis, the latter of which required season-ending surgery in August. In the end, Polanco suited up for just 37 games and played all of 20 innings at first base. According to president of baseball operations David Stearns (as relayed by Sanchez), Polanco’s rehab is “going very well,” though the Mets will evaluate him in Spring Training before determining his role. Vientos, meanwhile, took just under 300 trips to the plate and batted just .212/.258/.394 with a 78 wRC+. The right-handed hitter was a solid platoon option against lefties (119 wRC+) but was unplayable against righties (48 wRC+). Vientos is out of options and a non-tender candidate, so between that and the uncertainty around Polanco following his injuries, the Mets are reportedly seeking a right-handed hitting platoon partner for Jared Young at first base. France would fit that bill, and he’s not even a pure platoon bat. He posted a 137 wRC+ in 138 plate appearances against lefties but also had a 142 wRC+ in 362 PA against right-handed pitchers. As an added bonus, France is also a good defender, earning +15 and +7 ratings from Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average this year, respectively. That would be a welcome change of pace for the Mets, who in recent years have gotten poor defense from Vientos and Pete Alonso, along with average fielding from Young. MLBTR projects France for two years and $32MM in free agency. The other top first baseman, Jake Bauers, just went to the Red Sox on a four-year, $58MM deal that exceeded industry expectations. France could feasibly beat industry projections too and might sign a deal before the widely expected lockout. The remaining free agent options aside from France include Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Bell, and Alec Bohm, all of whom are part-time first basemen at best. Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images