The Mets don’t need to spend trade deadline capital trying to jab the Yankees in the ribs. Their job is to improve their own position for the future. Still, if the Mets do wind up dealing with Yankees rivals, the Bronx would probably feel the sting anyway.
One name that could create that kind of annoyance is Luis Torrens. The Yankees are looking for catching help, and the Boston Red Sox are in the same market.
Torrens, who was basically handed to the Mets by the Yankees in early 2024, could draw interest from Boston. That said, a deal still looks very unlikely after the Mets gave him a two-year extension that will pay him over $5 million in 2027 and 2028.
Boston’s sudden push into the playoff race makes it a fit for several Mets players, though Torrens is not expected to be one of them. Chances it happens: 2.5% chance David Stearns bumps his head and makes this trade.
Clay Holmes feels like the more realistic possibility, and the Tampa Bay Rays make a lot of sense as a landing spot. If Adrian Houser was their big starting pitcher addition last year, they should be open to Holmes, who has been much more dependable since moving into the starter role.
His versatility could even give Tampa Bay a different kind of weapon if the club reaches October, where he could be used in relief. Of the three possible Mets moves, this one would probably land the hardest on the Yankees.
Holmes could help the Rays chase the division and maybe even play a role in knocking the Yankees out in October. Chances it happens: 30% only because there will be other teams bidding for his services.
Luke Weaver is another former Yankee who could end up making life difficult for his old team. He’s a fit for several clubs that need pitching help, and a move to any American League contender would bring a little extra revenge flavor to the story.
The Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and maybe even the Texas Rangers are all listed as strong matches. Weaver was a bullpen savior for the Yankees in 2024, and he could do the same for another team as it tries to finish off 2026.
The biggest question is whether a team will meet the high asking price to get him, since he still comes with another year of control. If you’re picking a destination, the White Sox are the choice here, with the little team that could potentially sending the Yankees home in the postseason.
In Other News...
David Stearns Just Sent Mets Fans A Brutal Deadline Message
As the Mets get ready to open a series against the Dodgers, the front office is already looking past the next few days and into a bigger picture. President of baseball operations David Stearns made it clear the club is keeping its options open heading into the Aug. 3 trade deadline, while also stressing that the organization is thinking about building toward 2027 as it weighs what comes next.
For a fan base hoping the deadline brings help rather than subtraction, that is not exactly the kind of certainty people were looking for. The immediate baseball still matters, with Sean Manaea on the mound for the Mets against Roki Sasaki, but Stearns stance leaves the door open to a far wider range of outcomes than a simple buyers approach. [Read more 🡒]
This Mets Trade Scenario Feels Uncomfortably Familiar For One Big Reason
The idea of the Mets chasing a late-deadline bullpen splash has a familiar ring to it, but the reality is much less tidy than the name value suggests. New York does not have a deep farm system to lean on, and San Diego is not operating like a club ready to strip things down, which makes any conversation about a major closer move far more theoretical than imminent.
That is where the old warning light starts flashing for Mets fans. The organization has been down this road before, when a bold trade package brought back a star reliever and carried plenty of long-term baggage, and the lesson now is that New York is far more likely to protect its young talent until the offseason than force a deal before the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Suddenly Have A Little Known Lefty Fans Need To Watch
MLB Pipelines latest refresh of the Mets prospect list brought the usual churn, with recent draft picks left out for now and more additions expected by Aug. 3. Jonah Tong still sits atop the group even after a rough stretch, while Elian Pena has climbed, but the more interesting name for Mets fans might be a left-hander working a little farther off the radar in High-A Brooklyn.
The arm drawing attention has paired a sharp ERA with solid strikeout and walk numbers, the kind of line that suggests more than a hot week or two. He was already effective last season, and the step forward in his control has made him harder to ignore, even if the long-term path still points well beyond this summer and leaves plenty to be sorted out before he gets much closer to Queens. [Read more 🡒]