The MLB trade deadline still feels stuck in neutral, and the New York Mets are one of the teams that could help jolt it back to life.
With four days left until “the big day,” the market has barely moved. The biggest deal so far is a C-level swap between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers, and that’s not exactly the kind of move that gets the rest of the league scrambling. Tarik Skubal still looks like the domino everyone is waiting on, but the Mets have their own ways to start the chain reaction before that happens.
There are a few different paths they could take, and each one would send a different kind of message to the rest of baseball.
Freddy Peralta to the Padres is the cleanest fit on paper. His contract makes him easy to fit into a deal, with the rest of his $8 million making him especially affordable.
San Diego has shown a clear desire to save money after handing out several of the sports’ worst deals, and it also has pitching prospects to work with. Kash Mayfield, the 25th overall pick from 2024, would be the kind of piece that would make the Mets think hard.
Clay Holmes to the Diamondbacks makes sense for a different reason. Arizona shouldn’t be treated like a novelty act after what happened in 2023; this team is for real and needs help in a few spots if it wants to be taken seriously.
Holmes’ ability to keep the ball on the ground fits what they need. The challenge is beating out teams like the Dodgers for him.
Demetrio Crisantes is their top prospect, and the high-contact hitting infielder should be in the majors regularly next season. The Mets have enough room on the roster to hold a backup infielder for another year or two and let him develop into a possible starter.
If the goal is to really wake everybody up, though, the biggest swing is A.J. Minter and Luis Robert Jr. to the Phillies.
That’s the kind of move that would force the whole league to pay attention. Philadelphia has every reason to push hard now, because nobody should be more desperate to win this year than a team that looks like it could be heading toward a step back every season. If that happens, the Phillies could even miss the postseason entirely in 2026.
A deal that big would cost the Mets in terms of return, especially with those larger contracts involved, but it could still bring back three decent pitching prospects. The idea would be to target two ranked arms, starting with Cade Obermueller or someone behind him, plus an unranked pitcher who is either not yet 19 or simply having a strong year. And beyond the names, just the fact of the Mets and Phillies making a trade would be enough to shake the deadline loose.
In Other News...
Mets Have One Clear Prospect Priority In Freddy Peralta Talks
If the Mets are going to seriously engage in Freddy Peralta talks, the return is going to matter as much as the arm they might be chasing. The latest look at the market points to a wide field of possible trade partners, with the Rays, White Sox, Cubs, Padres, Diamondbacks, Brewers, Rangers and Phillies all mentioned as clubs that could get involved if the conversation really heats up.
What makes the picture interesting for New York is that this is not just about getting a big league-ready piece back. The Mets are being linked to a range of prospect names across those systems, which suggests the front office would have some flexibility in how it builds a package. The real question is whether the club can line up the kind of return it wants without having to overpay in the sort of talent it would prefer to keep close. [Read more 🡒]
Mets First Base Plan Is Already Becoming A Serious Problem
Jorge Polancos first season with the Mets has turned into a frustrating watch, and the timing could hardly be worse for a club already shifting into seller mode ahead of the trade deadline. Polanco has struggled to get anything going at the plate, and since coming back from a three-month injury absence, the production has been even thinner, leaving the Mets with a first-base situation that looks far less settled than they hoped.
Interim manager Andy Green is still publicly backing Polanco, pointing to the hitters track record and insisting the breakthrough is coming. But with the deadline approaching and Polancos contract making a move unlikely, the Mets may have to live with the current setup for a while longer, even as Jared Youngs recent work against right-handed pitching gives the front office another name to consider and Mark Vientos remains sidelined with a broken hand. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Are Already Circling A Mets Arm Before The Deadline
The Dodgers are still hunting for help in the rotation as the deadline approaches, and their need has only grown with a pair of familiar arms working back from injuries. Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both add to the uncertainty around that staff, which is why Los Angeles has been casting a wide net while looking for ways to stabilize the group for the stretch run.
For the Mets, the wrinkle is less about what happens in Los Angeles than about who is drawing that kind of attention. Clay Holmes has been on the radar as part of that search, and he was scouted in his last minor league rehab start after missing time since May with a fractured right fibula. Whether the Dodgers ultimately land a bigger name or keep circling back to Holmes, it is another reminder that the market for pitching can shift quickly, and New Yorks arms are already part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]