The Athletic’s latest trade-candidate list reads more like a warning label for the Mets than a shopping guide.
Ahead of the 2026 MLB trade deadline, the site rolled out 75 names, including several players tied to New York. Some of those Mets are staying put, some are almost certainly not, and a few of the external targets The Athletic floated feel like the kind of summer-sell ideas that make little sense for a team already carrying its own questionable money.
The five players linked to the Mets were Luis Castillo, Matt Chapman, Austin Wells, Jeff Hoffman and Camilo Doval.
If there’s a polite phrase in the English language for “no thanks” with fewer vowels, I’d like to hear it.
For all the Mets’ spending under Steve Cohen, they still haven’t really gone out and taken on a truly bad contract. The closest example the source points to was swapping Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien, with the idea being to move from one deal to another that ends sooner. Taking on any of these five would be a different kind of move - less clever roster management, more trouble for the sake of it.
The numbers attached to the group don’t exactly help the case. Castillo has a 4.93 ERA.
Chapman is hitting .235. Wells is at .152.
Hoffman owns a 4.46 ERA. Doval sits at 4.86.
There’s no need to overcomplicate it: all five are having rough seasons.
Chapman is the one name with real appeal because of what he brings defensively, and the source notes that he could be a candidate to replace Bo Bichette at third base next season. That alone makes a Mets deal in the next two weeks sound far-fetched.
The Yankees angle only adds to the sense that this is more theory than reality. Two of the least popular Yankees players showing up on the list doesn’t exactly scream imminent fit.
Wells would only make sense for the Mets if they moved one of their other catchers, which already sounds like a long shot. Doval fits the classic change-of-scenery label, but the question practically answers itself: is moving boroughs enough of a change?
A deal for any of these players by August 3 feels unlikely, with the offseason looking like the more realistic window to sort through possibilities. The Mets, though, should still be open to adding big-league talent in both kinds of trades - the ones where they sell and the ones nobody sees coming.
And if 2026 really is going to bring more budget uncertainty, the smarter path may be to pay down salary in a deal and use that leverage to bring back a better prospect haul. The source also points to Freddy Peralta’s remaining $8 million salary in 2026 as the kind of smaller move that would make more sense than piling on another questionable contract.
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