The Mets’ busy trade deadline did more than restock the farm. It also created an offseason question David Stearns will have to answer: which, if any, of the players shipped out might make sense to bring back?
That kind of reunion is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Deadline deals can close one chapter and reopen another a few months later, and the Mets have done it before.
Jay Bruce was moved in 2017 during the club’s fire sale, then came back on a three-year deal that winter before eventually moving on again in the Robinson Cano trade. So while it is not the norm, it is absolutely in play if the fit works.
There are seven former Mets from the second half to consider for 2027, though Huascar Brazoban and Luke Weaver are excluded from the list because both still had club control when they were dealt. Reacquiring either would mean trading for them again, which does not look likely.
At the top of the group is a player the Mets never officially moved at the deadline but did use all over the outfield in August before placing him on waivers. That let the Baltimore Orioles claim him in September and get the Mets off the hook for the rest of his 2026 salary and the buyout on his final option year.
The fit for a return is easy to imagine as a fourth outfielder, but the money is the obstacle. Stearns clearly does not view him as worth roughly $7 million, and the more sensible path for him is probably to go somewhere he can play every day.
Drew Peterson was the first Met out in late June, landing with the Chicago Cubs near the end of the month. He had big moments in New York, including an All-Star nod in 2025, but his 2026 season was a grind for much of the first half.
He settled in some after the trade, going 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 16 outings, 15 of them starts. Even with that improvement, the Mets are looking for more certainty from their winter additions, and Peterson seems headed for a one-year deal elsewhere rather than a return to Queens.
The relievers the Mets moved at the deadline did not exactly light it up after leaving, which suggests Stearns probably made the right call. Brooks Raley was the one who struggled the most, but A.J.
Minter arguably had the best showing of the bunch. He posted a 2.78 ERA in 25 appearances for the Minnesota Twins, though that work ended up mattering little once Minnesota slid out of the playoff race.
A reunion with Minter would make sense because the Mets need another lefty in the bullpen, but his overall numbers should help him get a multi-year offer at a level Stearns may not want to match.
Freddy Peralta became a more interesting name in this conversation when Mets owner Steve Cohen flew to Tampa on Tuesday to watch him start Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Peralta, now thriving with the Rays, said he was moved by Cohen’s presence and pointed to the relationship he built with the Mets owner in Queens.
The Mets need rotation help, and Peralta’s down season could leave the door open for a one-year deal that would let him rebuild value. Stearns liked him enough to trade for him once, so a reunion is possible if the market does not develop.
Still, a different direction feels more likely.
Cody Holmes also belongs on the list, though his situation has its own wrinkle. He was open to an extension with the Mets before being dealt to the Cubs, and Stearns decided the return from Chicago was more valuable than keeping him.
That gamble could pay off if Jefferson Rojas turns into a star in Flushing. On the field, Holmes would fit nicely back in the middle of the rotation, especially if the Mets pair him with an ace such as Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan.
The question is whether he would want to come back after the Mets did not seriously explore an extension before moving him.
The best case for a reunion may come with Taylor. His July surge against left-handed pitching came at the right time, helping the Mets sell high before he reached free agency.
New York still needs a right-handed-hitting outfielder after Nick Morabito did not look ready for that role in his September trial, and Taylor could fill that need while also giving the Mets some center field work to relieve A.J. Ewing.
He is unlikely to land a starting job elsewhere, which could make him open to returning.
Raley rounds out the list, and he may have been the one who seemed most disappointed to leave Flushing. That frustration appeared to carry over, because his stint with the Philadelphia Phillies went badly; he posted a 7.94 ERA in 16 appearances and was left off their postseason roster.
There is risk here because he turns 39 in July, but he has a strong record against tough lefties and has pitched well in New York before. Stearns has already hinted that he will be more aware of players who can handle the New York market, and a one-year deal for Raley would fit a bullpen that still needs veteran arms capable of getting big outs late.
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