The Mets may be headed toward seller mode by the August 3 trade deadline, but the bigger question is which pieces they’re willing to move. Some names already look like obvious candidates - Freddy Peralta, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley among them - yet the picture gets murkier when the player is under club control beyond 2026.
That’s where Luke Weaver comes in.
According to MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided.com, the Mets have received a notable update on the right-hander: he is expected to draw plenty of interest this summer. Murray put it plainly: "Weaver will be in heavy demand at the deadline and outside of Aroldis Chapman, could be the most coveted reliever on the market," Murray writes.
Weaver is signed through the 2027 season on a two-year, $22 million deal, so the Mets would not be dealing from a position of desperation. Still, the kind of market Murray is describing could change the calculus fast.
The 32-year-old has put together a strong season, posting a 1.89 ERA with 42 strikeouts and a 220 ERA+ across 38.0 innings. That production is exactly the sort of thing contenders chase in July.
Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox is viewed as the top closer trade target this summer, but once he’s off the board, Weaver may be the next reliever teams circle. For the Mets, that means a potential decision with real weight: keep a valuable veteran arm, or see what kind of return the market will deliver.
If the demand is as strong as Murray suggests, the answer could come down to the package. A contender would likely have to pay up for Weaver, and if the offers are big enough, the Mets have to be willing to listen.
In that scenario, Weaver might end up bringing back the best return of any deal the Mets make this summer. And with August 3 approaching, that makes him one of the most interesting names on their deadline board.
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The more interesting part is whether the Mets would use that kind of swap to bring in a pitcher who is close enough to matter soon, but still has some development left in the tank. With A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley no longer in the mix, there is at least a path for a left-handed arm to get a look, and Seattles system has one that has been moving through the upper levels with strong strikeout numbers and steady run prevention. The wrinkle is timing, because a pitcher in that spot can be useful to a club now, while also carrying enough roster pressure that the other side has to decide whether to hold on or make a move before the offseason changes the calculus. [Read more 🡒]