Mets meet with Ty Frances camp to fill glaring hole at first base

The Mets search for first base help extends all the way to France. David Stearns has touched base with Ty France’s camp, a source familiar with the situation said this weekend, as the Mets hunt for perhaps the only lineup spot they plan to upgrade this offseason.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.With a position-player group that is largely filled apart from Pete Alonso’s old position, where the Mets have a lefty-hitting platoon option in Jared Young and a mystery in Jorge Polanco, they appear to be turning over plenty of rocks. The Athletic reported last week that the Mets met with corner infielder Alec Bohm’s camp at the GM meetings.

They are also among the many clubs that have engaged with the representative for France, an excellent defender and righty hitter coming off the best season of his career. An eight-year journeyman who has played for the Padres, Mariners, Reds, Twins and Blue Jays, France had a disappointing 2025 offensively (.681 OPS) but excelled at first base, where he won a Gold Glove. Last offseason he had to settle for a minor league deal and did not sign until February with the Padres, with whom he became a true bargain and even received a down-ballot NL MVP vote. A Gold Glove finalist who hit both righties and lefties, France batted .295 with 21 home runs en route to an .865 OPS this past season.Perhaps trading some contact for power — with his exit velocity (89.5 mph to 91.5 mph) and bat speed (71 mph to 72 mph) jumping while his strikeout percentage (16.9 percent to 21.6 percent) ticked up — France consistently hit the ball harder and in the air more. Ahead of his age-32 season, France likely will receive a multiyear major league deal this time around. With Jake Bauers off the board, France and Bohm are likely the best first basemen still on the free agent market (with the possible exception of Teruaki Sato, whose positio...