The Mets don’t need Marcus Semien to talk them out of a Ketel Marte trade. They may have a different problem entirely: the organization already has enough younger options circling second base that chasing Marte could feel unnecessary, even if his name keeps popping up in the rumor mill.
That doesn’t mean Marte is off the board. Arizona’s interest in keeping him around sure doesn’t look strong, and the Mets have been tied to him before.
Last offseason, even after Semien arrived, New York was still linked to Marte. This winter could bring the same conversation back.
But Marte’s stock isn’t exactly soaring. He finished with a .748 OPS and 22 home runs, both of which were new lows over the last four seasons. With Torey Lovullo recently calling him, the vibe around him has only added to the sense that trade chatter is coming.
For the Mets, though, the bigger issue may be internal. If they want to avoid bringing in another potential distraction while Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor appear to be getting along so well, they have three players in the pipeline who could make a Marte deal easier to pass on.
Brett Baty is the most obvious present-day answer. He’s not better than Marte, but he could fit into a left-handed platoon setup with Semien at second base.
Baty finished the season well, and with no obvious opening elsewhere on the field, the simplest path may be to let Baty and Semien handle the position rather than forcing 162 games out of one player. He’s already in the mix and entering his first year of arbitration.
Jefferson Rojas is another reason the Mets may hesitate. His immediate path depends on what happens with Bo Bichette.
If Bichette leaves, Rojas should stay at third base. If Bichette remains, the Mets could give Rojas more second base work.
Either way, there’s a strong chance he reaches the big leagues next year unless everything gets wiped out. He stood out in the minors, and the team’s willingness to let Carson Benge skip Triple-A suggests they may already view Rojas as someone worth waiting on.
The most compelling name is Mitch Voit. Originally drafted as a second baseman, he spent much of the 2026 season at shortstop.
That wasn’t about replacing Francisco Lindor right away, but it did give the Mets a chance to test him in a tougher spot, see where he fits, and maybe build some trade value along the way. After a huge 2026 season, capped by a .947 OPS in his final month at Double-A, Voit looks like a player on a real track to grab a starting job somewhere.
His timeline makes him less of an immediate fix and more of a strong long-term bet - maybe the best one by 2028.
Emilien Pitre deserves mention too, though expectations should stay measured. He brings a slick glove, but as a light-hitting infielder, he looks more like a role player than a future starter.
In Other News...
Mets May Be Eyeing A Rotation Gamble They Know Too Well
The Mets are already thinking ahead to the post-2026 rotation picture, and it is easy to see why. Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton give the organization some younger arms to work with, but a staff built around prospects usually still needs a veteran stabilizer, especially if the club wants to keep its window open and avoid leaning too hard on unproven depth.
One name that has surfaced is Tyler Mahle, whose recent performance makes him appealing on paper even as his injury history remains part of the conversation. For the Mets, the attraction is obvious, but so is the danger of chasing a pitcher whose availability has been a question before, which is why any serious push would need a credible backup plan if the Braves starter proves too risky to trust as the answer. [Read more 🡒]
Former Mets Arm Is Giving Fans A Trade Deadline Gut Check
The Mets long view this week stretches well beyond the standings, with one familiar arm offering a reminder of how quickly a roster decision can echo into October. Freddy Peralta, who was dealt from the Mets to the Tampa Bay Rays, spoke about the move and sounded content with the new role he has carved out in the ALDS, a tidy little gut check for anyone still wondering what might have been.
At the same time, the organizations future is still taking shape elsewhere, as prospect Cole Mathis is unveiling a new hitting stance in the Arizona Fall League. Between that development track and the broader postseason action, with the Dodgers beating the Braves and the Brewers topping the Padres, it is another snapshot of how one franchises present and future can overlap in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Haul Already Features One Prospect Fans Will Obsess Over
The Mets did more than patch a roster at the trade deadline, they also added a crop of prospects who give the organization some real long-term intrigue. Among the names that landed in the system were Aidan Smith, Gabe Davis, Emilien Pitre, Billy Amick and Jefferson Rojas, a group that already gives the front office a few different developmental paths to watch as the minors fill out over the next few seasons.
Rojas stands out at the top of that list because the upside is easy to see, especially for a club that has been searching for young infield talent to keep moving forward. The evaluation around the group is less about immediate help than future value, but Rojas has emerged as the one to circle most closely, with a possible path to taking over at third base in 2027 if everything develops the way the Mets hope. [Read more 🡒]