A Blue Jays sell-off could make the Mets’ trade chips look even thinner
Toronto may have finally tipped from buyer to seller, and that shift matters far beyond the AL East. At 46-56, the Blue Jays need a Boston Red Soxian winning streak fast to change the picture, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be making another run at the American League Pennant. For the New York Mets, that’s bad news.
If Toronto starts moving pieces, it gives the market more of the same kinds of players the Mets would be trying to shop. In some cases, the Blue Jays’ options may even be more appealing. That means the Mets’ already shaky return on a few names could get squeezed even further.
Freddy Peralta is the clearest example. Nobody is going to rush to the door for him.
Even if a club believes he can bounce back, he’s been too rough lately to cost a premium prospect or a big package of lesser ones. Someone will take a shot, sure, but if Kevin Gausman is also available, the choice may come down to money.
Peralta is owed the rest of an $8 million contract, while Gausman has what’s left of a $22 million deal.
Clay Holmes could feel the ripple too. Gausman’s presence on the market would nudge Holmes down a bit, and the same idea applies to Shane Bieber.
Injuries have already complicated the picture, and the addition of Patrick Corbin to the seller pool only widens the list of names buyers can chase. Holmes still shouldn’t be hit too hard, especially with the Mets able to think about extending him or even giving him the qualifying offer after the season.
That’s not a path they should take with Peralta.
Luis Robert Jr. is another case where Toronto could undercut the Mets’ leverage. He’s the kind of player who brings defense and power but not much average, and the Blue Jays have their own version in Daulton Varsho.
Varsho is a left-handed hitter with about half of what Robert is owed for the rest of the year, and that could matter to teams weighing cost, fit, and platoon flexibility in center field. There are plenty of questions with Robert.
Varsho comes with fewer.
Tyrone Taylor is in a similar spot, and Varsho only makes that tougher. Taylor already looked like a difficult sell for the Mets, likely bringing back a lower-level prospect or two at best.
When more defensively inclined outfielders are available, that only drags his value down. Myles Straw fits into that same conversation, too.
He’s more in Taylor’s lane than Varsho’s, and his $8 million team option for next season looks steep for the production he provides. He should be in the same kind of market as Taylor over the next week and a half.
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