The Mets’ summer sell-off may not stop with the obvious rental pieces. ESPN’s latest trade projection puts Luke Weaver in a much more surprising spot, giving the right-hander a 70% chance of being dealt by New York before the deadline.
That number stands out because Weaver isn’t just another expiring contract. He’s in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal he signed over the offseason, which means the Mets could hang onto him through 2027. In a perfect world, that kind of control makes him the sort of arm you keep around for the next push.
But ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel see a different kind of market forming. In their updated list, they wrote: "18.
Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Mets. Chance of being traded: 70%," and added, "...
He's exactly what teams are seeking this time of year."
And Weaver has done plenty to fuel that interest. He’s been excellent through 41 games and 43 innings, putting up a 1.88 ERA with 1.9 bWAR. For teams hunting bullpen help, that production makes him one of the most appealing names on the board.
That matters even more because the Mets are already positioned as sellers at the 2026 deadline, having moved David Peterson to the Chicago Cubs and A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins. Brooks Raley, Freddy Peralta, and Clay Holmes are expected to follow, but Weaver is the one with the extra year of team control, which is exactly why the ESPN number is so notable.
Still, the logic is there. In a seller’s market, a controllable reliever with a strong track record can draw serious attention, and Weaver could end up being the best bullpen arm available if Mason Miller isn’t traded. That would put him squarely on the radar for clubs such as the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays, among others.
At 32, Weaver may not bring back the kind of return Miller would command, but he should still bring in a sizable haul if the Mets decide to move him. For now, ESPN’s projection points to a real possibility that one of New York’s most valuable bullpen pieces is headed somewhere else this summer.
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Mets Just Sent A Bigger Trade Deadline Message Than Fans Expected
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It is the kind of swap that says plenty about where the club is headed right now. Brazobn had been part of the bullpen picture, but the Mets chose to turn a controllable arm into younger pitching depth as they keep working through deadline decisions, and the next moves will say even more about how aggressively they plan to retool. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Catching Move Could Signal Something Bigger
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For New York, the deal is notable not just for the arm coming back, but for what it says about how the front office viewed the rest of the market. Rortvedts value to the Dodgers was rooted in his familiarity with the club and the stability he provided during last years injury-hit stretch, and moving him now suggests the Mets were willing to turn a useful depth piece into a return they felt better matched their needs down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Purge Is Already Hitting Familiar Names
The Mets' deadline reshuffling has already started to put a familiar feel to the churn, with the front office turning over pieces and bringing in prospect capital as the trade market heats up across the league. New York sent Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays and moved Huascar Brazobn to the Chicago White Sox, part of a broader stretch of deadline activity that saw clubs around baseball making their own swaps and roster changes before the clock runs out.
On the roster side, the Mets also made room by promoting Robert Stock and Bryce Conley while designating Kevin Herget and MJ Melendez for assignment. For a team trying to thread the needle between present depth and future value, these are the kinds of decisions that can reshape the bullpen and the organizational picture in a hurry, even if the final ripple from this purge is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]