The Mets spent Saturday honoring the 1986 champions, but the version of the club on the field at Citi Field looked a lot more like a team headed for a selloff than one built to celebrate a title. New York dropped a 6-2 decision to the Marlins, with Zac Thornton getting through a shaky start, Tyrone Taylor briefly pulling the Mets back into it with a homer, and Daniel Duarte then running into his first rough outing of the season out of the bullpen.
The game also fit the moment around the organization. With the trade deadline approaching, the Mets are expected to be the biggest sellers, and the day’s roster moves kept pointing in that direction.
Xzavion Curry, after covering five innings in relief on Friday night, was sent back to Syracuse. Kevin Herget was recalled to take his place.
While the club marked 40 years since its last World Series championship, the present-day reality kept crashing into the nostalgia. John Harper of SNY wrote that the celebration was a bittersweet reminder of how much ground the current organization still has to cover. Mookie Wilson, reflecting on the 1986 team, said, “I don’t think any of us could have ever predicted or imagined that one instance in time in baseball history would bring that much joy to people and create a lasting memory,” and added, “There’s no one story I can tell that overshadows the rest.”
There was more pitching news tied to the deadline picture. Clay Holmes, who had said he was ready to return to the majors if needed in advance of a possible trade, is instead headed for another rehab outing in Brooklyn.
That opened the door for Robert Stock to start Sunday’s game. It will be his first big league appearance since June 8, 2025 and his first start since 2021.
Stock had been competing for a roster spot with the Mets in spring training before thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in March.
One of the few encouraging developments in the system came from Triple-A, where Jonah Tong struck out his 100th batter of the season on Saturday.
Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News pointed to that kind of progress from younger players as one of the few bright spots in what has otherwise been a miserable season for the Mets.
Around the National League East, the Braves beat the Nationals 8-3 behind seven one-hit innings from Martín Pérez. Reynaldo López had been scratched about 50 minutes before first pitch because of left knee inflammation.
Atlanta also made a move, acquiring outfielder Lane Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter from the Royals for right-hander Lucas Braun, the Braves’ No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline, and left-hander Carter Holton.
The Phillies handled the Orioles 5-0 behind Cristopher Sánchez, who struck out 11 over six scoreless innings. Before that win, Philadelphia had lost 10 of its previous 13 games, and its bullpen issues were piling up enough to put more pressure on Dave Dombroski to upgrade the roster at the deadline.
Across Major League Baseball, the trade market started to move in a hurry as Monday evening’s deadline drew closer. The Dodgers made the loudest splash, landing two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in a deal that sent three players the other way, including two top-100 prospects: outfielder Zyhir Hope, ranked No. 25 by Pipeline, and right-handers River Ryan, ranked No. 68, and Brady Smith.
Skubal said, “I’m excited to be a Dodger,” and added, “I’m excited to get down there and meet all those guys and chase three championships in a row. It’s hard to do, so I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Elsewhere, the Guardians sent Bo Naylor and Codi Heuer to the Brewers for Craig Yoho and Blake Perkins. The Yankees traded Camilo Doval to the Pirates for prospects Luis Cruz and Omar Alfonzo.
The Mariners sent Luis Castillo to the White Sox and got reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones and catching prospect Boston Smith in return. The Angels also scratched José Soriano from his scheduled start against the Brewers on Saturday night with a possible trade in mind.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent A Bigger Trade Deadline Message Than Fans Expected
The Mets continued to reshape their roster ahead of the trade deadline by moving reliever Huascar Brazobn, a pitcher who still had three seasons left on his contract, in a deal with the White Sox. In return, New York picked up two minor league arms, Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin, both prospects with limited major league experience.
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
A catching swap at the deadline gave the Mets a little more pitching depth when they dealt Ben Rortvedt to the Dodgers for right-hander Chayce McDermott. Rortvedt had only briefly been back in the Dodgers organization, but the move fit a familiar pattern for Los Angeles, which has been forced to patch together its catching group because of injuries to Will Smith and Dalton Rushing.
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 🡒]