The MLB Trade Deadline is less than a month away, and there’s never been more uncertainty about what will happen. The extreme parity across Major League Baseball this season makes it hard to identify buyers and sellers.
One team with a clear outlook on what to do is the New York Mets. In last place in the National League East at 43-60, they will be looking to trade off anything of value to accumulate assets for 2027 and beyond.
With the pennant races remaining fluid leading up to the deadline, it is unknown which players are available for contenders, but the Mets are in a strong position to set the market if they are willing to make these trades happen:
Trade From Their Pitching Depth
The number of valuable arms New York can trade puts them in an advantageous position. Every team in the playoff hunt will be looking to add starters or relievers to bolster their pitching staff. The Mets have both available and could capitalize on the sellers’ market.
For starters, they have Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes. Peralta is struggling through his worst season, but has the track record of a frontline starter. He still has swing-and-miss ability with a multitude of pitches that will play up in the postseason. A free agent at the end of the year, the Mets can trade him for multiple premium prospects as one of the top rentals this deadline.
Holmes has been a solid mid-rotation pitcher who is working his way back from injury. At his best, his sinker induces poor contact that limits home runs. He could be even better with a stronger defense behind him, so expect contenders to be interested. The Mets would be wise to trade him now.
Beyond those two, New York has useful relievers to trade off. Lefties A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley offer consistency and veteran experience. Huascar Brazoban has been one of the Mets’ best arms in the bullpen and is underrated for what he provides. Luke Weaver has closer experience working high-leverage spots for playoff teams in the past.
Peralta, Holmes, and Weaver would command the biggest return for the Mets, and the team should move as many of these players as they can and reap the rewards of the pitching market demand.
Trade Brett Baty And/Or Mark Vientos
New York is reportedly willing to listen to offers on most of their roster to trade at the deadline. There is an opportunity to find trade partners for some of their inconsistent young players at the Big League Level.
Brett Baty is a former first-round pick of the Mets who has not found consistent success yet in his career. After a breakthrough 2025 season where he hit 18 home runs and played solid third base, he has struggled in a utility role. A team could try to buy low on Baty in the hopes of him rediscovering his form at one position. Still only 26 years old, he is under team control for three more years through arbitration.
New York is in a similar predicament with Mark Vientos. In 2024, he was considered one of the top young power hitters in the game with 27 home runs. He followed that up with big production in the playoffs that got the Mets to the NLCS. Since then, he has struggled to stay on the field and make enough contact to use the power. He also has multiple years of team control left via arbitration.
The lack of production from these players has set the team back. It would be hard for the Mets to justify giving either one a big role in the future. The time may be now to cut bait and get what they can for these guys before their value completely tanks.
Find Takers For Bo Bichette And Luis Robert Jr At MLB Trade Deadline
Bo Bichette and Luis Robert Jr were acquired in the offseason to be major additions to the Amazins’ lineup. Instead, it has been frustrating to see them fall short of expectations.
Bichette’s offensive production has been below his career standards, but he has begun to turn it around. There are complications with his contract that would make it difficult to move him. In addition to a full no-trade clause, he has opt-outs for after 2026 and 2027. With the Mets not planning to pay down salary to execute trades, other teams might be wary of taking on Bichette with the uncertainty around how long they would have him.
Robert Jr. has always been talented but unable to stay healthy. Much has been the same this year in New York, as he has only played in 27 games so far. With the emergence of rookie A.J. Ewing, Robert Jr. may not be needed going forward for the team to get production in centerfield. He has a $20 million team option for next season that could be hard to move without paying it down.
It is in the Mets’ best interest to pay off some salary to move both players in order to secure greater returns for prospects. The team committed both money and assets to get these players and would be better off clearing the books of them to reinvest into the team for the offseason. The trade deadline is their best window to do this.
A Chance For The New York Mets To Jump Start Next Season
With the Mets fully committed to selling at the deadline, David Stearns and Steve Cohen need to maximize the returns on the numerous trade chips they have. They have a goal to contend in 2027, and it starts now with what they do. They are in a position to leverage the strength of veteran pitchers and talented position players. This could be the difference in how fast they can retool to be more competitive than this disaster of a season.
