The Mets are heading into seller mode, and just about everyone on the roster is in play.
According to SNY’s Chelsea Janes, at least one rival executive has been told New York will listen on every player except Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Juan Soto. That leaves the door open on a wide swath of the roster as the deadline picture comes into focus.
None of this comes as a shock. The Mets entered Thursday with the second-worst record in the National League, despite carrying the sport’s second-highest payroll, and Carlos Mendoza was fired in late June. The season has gone sideways, and now the front office appears ready to turn that reality into trade value.
There are plenty of names that should draw attention from contenders. Freddy Peralta, one of the club’s biggest offseason additions, is an impending free agent and brings playoff experience to any rotation looking for help.
Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter also fit the rental market as bullpen upgrades.
The Mets could also field offers on players who are under contract beyond 2026. Luke Weaver has been a bright spot, giving the bullpen stability in the first season of his two-year, $22-million deal.
Huascar Brazobán, 36, is in the middle of a career year and still has two years of arbitration left. Clay Holmes is another name to watch; he’s expected back soon from a broken fibula, was one of the Mets’ best starters early in the year, and is signed for one more season at $12 million.
Holmes can also opt out after this season, and earlier in the year he said he was " definitely open" to a midseason extension with the Mets.
If the right offer comes along, the Mets could even move some of their other pieces. Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, Luis Torrens, and Ronny Mauricio are all mentioned as possible trade candidates.
The bigger names beyond Soto are less clear. Bo Bichette could attract interest after looking much more like himself at the plate in June following a slow start to his Mets tenure, but he has a full no-trade clause in the $126-million contract he signed and can opt out after this season and next. Francisco Lindor, who has five years and $161 million left on his deal, is not expected to be dealt, Janes reported.
The trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.
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Phillies Are Eyeing A Mets Starter And Fans Wont Like It
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For Mets fans, the more unsettling part is that one of the names floating into that discussion is a current New York starter who is still working back from injury. He is on the 60-day injured list and expected to return in August, which makes him an especially intriguing possibility for a contender looking to add help without waiting too long, and it adds another layer to a deadline market that could get complicated quickly. [Read more 🡒]