The Mets made their deadline moves with a clear eye on the future, flipping rentals and veteran pieces for prospects and big-league-ready help that should keep them in the postseason picture again by 2027. David Stearns took the kind of midsummer swing a retooling club is supposed to make, even if the long-term payoff still has to be proven.
But the most talked-about name in Queens never changed teams.
Francisco Alvarez stayed put, and the reasons are easy to see. The 24-year-old catcher is turning in another strong year both behind the plate and at it, and with arbitration control running through 2029, he is exactly the sort of player a front office can afford to be patient with. There was no pressing need for the Mets to move him, especially not when their reported asking price was a top prospect and more.
Mets deadline notes, per @WillSammon:
• Asked for team’s top prospect and more when asked about Francisco Alvarez
• Never approached Clay Holmes about mid-season extension
• Received “no significant interest” on Luis Robert Jr. due to his contract situation pic.twitter.com/rUCr9bpkO
- Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 4, 2026
That kind of price tag is the sort of thing teams usually circle back to later, and the offseason is the more natural place for a deal of that size anyway. If the Mets do reopen the Alvarez conversation, one club stands out as the best possible match: the Padres.
At first glance, San Diego doesn’t look like a clean fit. The Padres already moved pitching depth for Freddy Fermin last year, shipped out even more prospect capital at this year’s deadline, and still have Luis Campusano in the middle of a career year at the plate. On top of that, Ethan Salas is waiting in Triple-A as one of the best catching prospects in the sport.
But the catch is that each of those situations comes with its own problem. Fermin is giving them steady defense, but his bat has cratered to a .187 average and .579 OPS this season. Campusano is producing loudly with a 148 wRC+, yet his defense remains a concern and a position change could be in his future.
That’s where Salas changes the conversation. The Mets do not have an obvious internal replacement for Alvarez if they decide to deal him - Chris Suero is the closest option, but he remains an unknown behind the plate. A trade that brings back Salas would address that hole directly.
And Salas has the kind of profile that makes the idea plausible. The 20-year-old has already reached Triple-A, while putting up a 115 wRC+ and .806 OPS across the top two levels of the minors this season.
He also comes with a strong reputation as a defender. San Diego has been reluctant to move him before, but Alvarez’s age and long-term control could be enough to push A.J.
Preller into a serious discussion.
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Andy Green also said Robert Stock will stay in the rotation even after a rough outing in Pittsburgh, which gives the Mets at least a little clarity in one spot. For a team chasing consistency, the decision signals patience with a veteran arm while the rest of the pitching picture continues to shift around him. [Read more 🡒]