The Mets are heading into the next week with just about everybody in play, but not every name on the roster is headed for a quick exit. A few players look more like offseason trade chips than deadline movers, and the front office appears more interested in squeezing out value now than making a rushed deal it can’t live with later.
That means the deadline could pass with some familiar faces still in Queens - only for those same players to surface again once the offseason arrives.
Mark Vientos feels like the clearest case. There’s not much reason to keep running him out at first base, third base, or DH, and the Mets need to move him before his value drops any further.
He’s being described as a defensive liability, and his offense peaked in 2024. The idea is simple: trade him in the offseason for whatever return is available, whether that’s a player at a similar position or a prospect.
The Mets are being urged to remind other teams how good he was in 2024 to maximize the haul.
Francisco Alvarez is another name that could be on the move later rather than sooner. The Mets have poured time and effort into trying to turn him into one of the game’s best catchers, so this isn’t about a lack of belief in him.
It’s about timing. He has taken multiple steps backward defensively, even while looking like a good hitter this season, and this may be the last realistic chance to sell high.
The expectation is that the Mets could lean defense-first behind the plate in 2027, with Luis Torrens and another player with minor league options, possibly even someone brought in at the trade deadline.
Ronny Mauricio also looks destined for a new address. The fit in New York simply isn’t there, and it hasn’t been for a while.
He’s had limited chances, hasn’t done enough with them, and he won’t have minor league options next year. That combination makes his future with the Mets look closed off.
There’s still a belief he could become a decent part-time player somewhere else if he gets regular run or lands with a more patient team, but the Mets are expected to trade him this offseason.
Kodai Senga rounds out the group. He’s even been mentioned as a DFA candidate, though the current expectation is that the Mets keep seeing what he can do in relief this year.
The hope is that he does enough to attract a buy-low trade offer in the offseason, even if the Mets have to eat part of the contract. The comparison being made is Jeff McNeil, whom the Mets were able to sell to the Athletics with most of the deal covered.
The belief is that a similar path should exist for Senga if David Stearns is willing to take a low-ball offer.
Two other names did not make the list: Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty. Lindor is seen as difficult to trade before the CBA situation is settled, and there may not be enough time to get a deal done once movement resumes.
Baty, meanwhile, appears to have enough support inside the organization because of his defensive versatility, even if that versatility has been inefficient. With third base still unsettled, the Mets are expected to keep him around.
In Other News...
Mets Just Gave A Top Young Arm A Bigger Test
Jonathan Santuccis rise through the Mets system has taken another step, with the left-hander moving up to Triple-A Syracuse after a season that has steadily started to look more promising. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the organizations second-best prospect, Santucci has put together a 3-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, and the bigger takeaway has been the way his stuff has played up as the year has gone on.
The recent trend line is what makes this promotion worth watching. Santucci has been missing more bats in the last couple of months, including a season-high 13 strikeouts in one start and two double-digit strikeout outings overall, while his last Double-A stretch included a pair of strong ERAs and a final outing that ended with five shutout innings. Triple-A now gives him a tougher proving ground, and for the Mets, it is another chance to see whether he can keep pushing toward a future rotation conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Finally Have A Way Out Of Sean Manaeas Contract
Sean Manaeas name has started to surface in a very different kind of Mets conversation, one centered less on what he can do on the mound and more on what his contract might allow the club to do elsewhere. The idea is simple enough: New York has been weighing ways to clear money and create room in the rotation, and a left-hander who has not yet fit cleanly into the long-term plan has become part of that calculus.
The intrigue is whether a deal can actually take shape, because the Mets would be looking at this as a way out of a financial commitment as much as a baseball move. Any return would likely be modest, and the larger question is what comes next for a rotation picture that already has younger arms pushing for opportunities, even as the front office keeps sorting through whether there is a workable path to move Manaea at all. [Read more 🡒]
This Overlooked 2001 Mets Trade Now Has A Clear Winner
Late July trades rarely get remembered unless they swing a pennant race, and this one did not do that. Still, the Mets 2001 swap with Philadelphia ended up looking like a tidy piece of business in hindsight, with two veteran relievers heading out and a left-handed starter arriving to stabilize a rotation that needed help down the stretch.
Bruce Chen gave New York the kind of dependable innings it was looking for, while the Phillies never got much traction from the bullpen help they acquired. The larger season still moved on without much change in the standings, but for a deal that barely registered at the time, the contrast in how each side fared has become pretty clear. [Read more 🡒]