Rain washed out the Mets on Monday, but the schedule still got a workout. The game is being pushed into today as the first half of a split double-header, with Game 1 set for 1:10 pm.
The timing matters because the trade deadline is right around the corner, and the Mets keep showing up in deadline chatter. Laura Albanese identified five Mets who could be moved before next Monday’s deadline, while Luis Torrens is drawing real interest from clubs in the market for catching help. Even so, the Mets are reluctant to deal him away.
Clay Holmes also had a notable day, with his second rehab start doubling as a pre-deadline showcase. Elsewhere on the roster front, Juan Soto said he was certain he would return this season after his latest calf injury.
Austin Warren has started a rehab assignment in St. Lucie, and Syracuse Mets manager Dick Scott has taken a leave of absence to deal with a medical issue.
There’s plenty of speculation about what comes next for the big-league club, too. David Lennon raised the question of whether the post-deadline Mets will help the 2026 Mets claim the title of the worst team money could buy. Mark Feinsand also tackled a batch of deadline questions, including whether the Mets are aiming for a full rebuild or just a retool.
Around the National League East, the Marlins edged the Phillies 1-0 behind a Kyle Stowers home run in the first inning, and that was the only run either side managed all game. The Nationals took down the Blue Jays 8-6, with Luis Garcia Jr. and Dylan Crews going back-to-back in the fourth.
Across the league, the broader debate around competitive balance keeps hanging over the season. This year is being used as a counterargument to MLB’s claims about the lack of balance, while the no-trade clause may again become a real factor at this deadline. MLB, meanwhile, has continued to say it wants to share revenue with the players “50-50” without spelling out exactly what would count as revenue.
In Other News...
This Mets Deadline Gamble Became A Painful Bullpen Reminder
Back in the summer of 2017, the Mets made a deadline move for AJ Ramos as the roster was leaning more toward selling than adding, hoping the veteran reliever could steady a bullpen that needed help. The price was Ricardo Cespedes and Merandy Gonzalez, a reminder that even smaller deadline deals can carry long tails when a club is trying to thread the needle between the present and the future.
Ramos never gave the Mets much of the payoff they were chasing, and the move became one more cautionary tale from that stretch of roster churn. His time in New York ended after a rough 2018 run, and the two prospects sent out in the deal did not develop into meaningful big-league pieces, leaving the trade as a quiet but costly bullpen misfire in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Could Make One Deadline Move Fans Would Instantly Debate
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, the Mets are expected to do what contenders usually do at this point in the calendar: move players who are not under contract for 2027 and keep an eye on pitching. The rotation has been the obvious place to look, and if the front office decides to chase a starter, the names on the board are the kind that can change the conversation in a hurry, from Angels right-handers Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano to Mariners arms Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo.
The problem is that starting-pitcher shopping rarely comes cheap, especially for a team trying to balance present urgency with longer-term roster control. ESPN has already surfaced a few more possibilities in that same lane, including Joe Ryan, which only adds to the sense that the Mets could be weighing a move that would help immediately but also invite plenty of debate about how much future value they should be willing to touch for a rotation upgrade. [Read more 🡒]