The New York Mets are heading into the offseason in a strange spot: after selling at the trade deadline, they’re now in position to buy again almost immediately. That’s not a full reset, though, and it doesn’t point to a sweeping makeover.
Large contracts are still going to sit on the books, and some of them aren’t easy to move. With possible changes to MLB’s financial system looming, the Mets may have even more incentive to chase lower-cost talent, the kind of move they made when they landed Freddy Peralta before the 2026 season.
That approach can make prospects more available, and among the Mets’ top 10 farmhands, there doesn’t appear to be a true untouchable. A lot of the higher-ranked names are recent additions, which limits the emotional attachment from the fan base. Internally, the only prospects who might be protected are Elian Pena and Wandy Asigen, whose young international free-agent backgrounds give them a higher ceiling than some draft picks.
Even so, there are a few top-10 prospects who look especially movable if the right deal comes along.
Jacob Reimer sits sixth on the list, and his profile is the kind that could tempt another team. He’ll be 23 next season, has dealt with too many injuries, and has only one season with 100-plus games played.
The Mets have now seen him across 141 games at Double-A, where he’s hit .252/.352/.424, enough to stay in the conversation as a future corner-infield option. He still sees some time at third base, but he projects more as a right-handed-hitting first baseman.
The power has been solid rather than loud, with 36 homers in 344 pro games. After a rough year in Double-A, where he hit .232 and struck out more than once per game, Reimer is also already Rule 5 Draft eligible whenever MLB holds the draft again.
Sammy Stafura, ranked seventh, joined the organization at the deadline in the deal that sent Luke Weaver the other way. The path to the majors won’t be simple.
He’s mostly a shortstop with some second base, and he’s blocked by both the depth chart and the performance of others ahead of him. Stafura has hit .250/.364/.426 as a pro, and his biggest offensive burst came with the Pirates’ High-A club, where he hit 19 home runs in 211 plate appearances.
Still, that’s 37 homers in 1,358 plate appearances overall, so he’s not an obvious middle-of-the-order bet yet. He’s not someone to quit on, but if the Mets start thinking in terms of who gets to the next level first, Stafura could end up in trade talks again.
The article even points to a possible infield blueprint with Jefferson Rojas at third, Mitch Voit at second, and Stafura serving as trade bait for a third time in his career.
Jack Wenninger, ranked eighth, is another name that could be available if the Mets need something immediate. At one point, it seemed possible he could beat Jonah Tong to MLB innings in 2026, but a 4.54 ERA and control problems derailed that thought.
His walk rate sat at 5.3 BB/9, and the Mets also had to consider the consequences of adding him to the 40-man roster. After May, his best monthly ERA was 4.91 in July, and he closed the season with a 7.59 ERA across three September starts.
He’s not someone the Mets can completely write off, but there isn’t a clear short-term role waiting for him either. If Tong is part of the picture, Wenninger is behind him on the depth chart.
He’s Rule 5 Draft eligible, too, and while his numbers weren’t eye-popping, the article notes that neither were Mike Vasil’s before he was selected after the 2024 season.
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The real question for the Mets is not whether Rojas has improved his stock, but where he would fit if they decide to protect him and bring him onto the 40-man roster. Third base is part of that conversation, though his path there depends in part on what other players do with their contract decisions. For a team that is always balancing present needs against future control, Rojas has created the sort of Opening Day dilemma that tends to linger right up until the last minute. [Read more 🡒]