The deadline sale in Queens appears to be continuing. Chelsea Janes of SNY and Jon Heyman of the New York Post each report that the 41-57 Mets have informed other teams that they are willing to begin trade talks for the majority of the roster.
Both reports suggest the Mets are not interested in moving Juan Soto any of their four key minor players: Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Carson Benge again AJ Ewing. Everyone else appears to be available, although the Mets apparently won’t plan on trading 80% of their roster. Let’s explore some possibilities.
Big Name Strikers on Big Contracts
Francisco Lindor signed for $32MM per season through 2031. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting each season from 2022-25. He won’t come close to that this year, as he’s hit just .210/.291/.363 in 175 plate appearances. The five-time All-Star had some disappointing seasons defensively and missed two months with a strained left calf.
The contract, lack of production and Lindor’s age (33 in November) all make him immovable, as owner Steve Cohen admitted a few weeks ago in an appearance on the New York Post podcast. Lindor also has full no-trade protection as a player with 10 and 5 rights (10 years of service time, the last five of which came with one team).
Bo Bichette has no long-term commitments but is signed for $42MM annually through the 2027-28 seasons. He could be out after this season or next. Most of Bichette’s 2026 obligations were paid in the form of a $40MM signing bonus, so he’s only playing for a $2MM salary this year. Future cash and exit provisions that would prevent another party from assuming that responsibility.
[Related: Mets Trade Deadline Outlook]
New York could consider some kind of conditional cash consideration for future seasons if Bichette doesn’t opt out. The two-time All-Star has a .253/.297/.372 slash line in 417 plate appearances. Bichette has been on the job since early June. A trade would be complicated by the need to pay a large portion of the contract for what would be a return for a middle-of-the-pack prospect, especially if the Mets view Bichette as a resurgent prospect as a key part of the 2027 roster.
Short Term Trading Chips
While trading Lindor or Bichette would be a long shot, the Mets have several other players who could easily — and probably will — go. Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, AJ Minter again Brooks Raley the subject of their group of upcoming free agents. (Holmes has a $12MM player option that he may decline.) Luke Weaver is playing for an $8MM salary and is signed next year for $11MM.
Peralta is one of the most obvious trade chips in the game. Extension talks this spring didn’t get far, apparently due to a delay in contract length. Peralta is having his worst season since breaking out in 2021, allowing a 4.66 ERA with a career low 22.3% strikeout rate.
Those are four early numbers, but he’s still a prime trade candidate one year removed from the top five in Cy Young voting. Peralta’s $8MM salary remains low, and he could be key to turning down a qualifying offer if the Mets keep him for the rest of the season. They will only receive a compensatory pick after the fourth round if he signs elsewhere; they will do better than that in trade for the next three weeks.
Holmes’ situation is very difficult, as he is unlikely to be out before the deadline as he rehabilitates May’s fibula fracture. The 33-year-old righty has pitched well in his first nine games. He is a more reasonable candidate to accept a qualifying offer of around $23MM next season if the Mets offer him. Holmes says he’s open to an extension instead of a trade, and Janes writes that the sides are expected to have those talks before the Aug. 3 deadline. Holmes’ trade value won’t change for the next few weeks, so they could hold extension talks until the deadline before deciding on a move.
Minter and Raley are lefty pitchers. The Mets will likely need to eat half of Minter’s $11MM salary. He has a 1.42 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just one walk in 19 innings since returning from last year’s final surgery. Minter’s average fastball velocity has dropped to 92.9 mph and he isn’t missing as many at-bats as he did during his prime with the Braves. He has a lot of high-level experience and still gets great results, though.
Raley is a soft tosser who excels at avoiding hard contact. He is playing on an affordable $4.75MM contract and owns a 2.02 ERA through 35 2/3 innings. He struck out a quarter of the opponents against a 9.3% walk rate. Even if it’s not the most striking profile, he’s a good fit in the bullpen and a visible lock to move.
Weaver is the best bullpen trade chip in New York. The 32-year-old righty has been their top signing since last winter. Weaver had not allowed an earned run since the end of April until he retired a Trea Turner run home alone tonight. He pitched 40 frames of 2.03 ERA ball while striking out 28% of his opponents against a 7.1% walk percentage. He’s getting a 15% strikeout rate and while the Mets have used him in a setup role, he’s had some shutout experience with the Yankees. One more year under contract gives the Mets more leverage, but they may have to cash him out at the deadline when trade prices are high.
Controllable Trade Candidates
Of this group, the most notable thing is that the Mets apparently aren’t completely closing the door on catching. Francisco Alvarez. He hit two home runs tonight and is hitting a .259/.325/.448 line on the season. Alvarez is a clear step below the game’s best catchers, but he’s an above-average hitter with legitimate plus power. There are a lot of questions defensively, as he tends to hit balls and can’t control the run game. He made a very good grade as a pitcher early in his career but has gotten better at that over the past two seasons.
The Mets control the 24-year-old backstop for three seasons beyond this one. It would be surprising if they moved him, although it seems they are open to another team blowing them out. Alvarez has been sidelined a few times over the past two seasons, missing time with a hand injury last year and meniscus surgery in his right knee this season.
New York is likely to get more money for Alvarez than any of the other candidates in a reasonable trade. It will leave them without a clear answer behind the plate in 2027. They have no hope of catching the elite waiting in the wings. Mets extended backup catcher Luis Torrens in May, but he’s a defensive specialist who fits better as a complementary player. If they were to trade Alvarez, they would need to activate a free agent Ryan Jeffers, Tyler Stephenson or Carson Kelly in the offseason.
Huascar Brazoban he’s an under-the-radar bullpen chip. He’s manageable at a low price for three more seasons, but the late starter is approaching his 37th birthday. This is not the type of player the club is going to sell. Brazobán has a 2.70 ERA with a league-average strikeout rate and a 54% slugging percentage in 46 2/3 innings. His below-average command may keep him comfortable against opponents. The affordability and excellent combination of zinc replacement should attract the attention of other clubs.
Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio again Mark Vientos they have been in the news for years. They all have tough 2026 campaigns. Baty was an above-average player last season and appears to be the most desirable of the three as a replacement. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes that the Mets are expected to receive interest in Baty, albeit as a low buyout type.
Vientos has hit 27 homers over the past two seasons but has had no hits since and lacks defensive value. You’ve run out of options. Mauricio will be out of options next year. He’s a great frontman with big tools but an aggressive approach that big leaguers have used in his scattered looks. He hit .226/.278/.345 in 104 career games and is currently in Triple-A. Mauricio and Vientos could both battle for spots on the 40-man roster next spring. They will have a very low price.
Subsea Contracts
It’s no surprise that the Mets would like to discuss players like them Jorge Polanco, Sean Manaea, Luis Robert Jr., Kodai Senga, Devin Williams again Marcus Semien – all those on unadvertised contracts. The Mets could find a replacement for Williams if they pay some of his $51MM down, but that may not be worth it considering they’ll need to replace most of the aforementioned resources.
Robert, who is currently recovering from a back injury, could get a lottery ticket of sorts if the Mets eat the rest of his $20MM salary. Manaea has been fine as a starter, but the Mets will also need to pay most of his $25MM salary this year and next. Polanco, Senga and Semien seem very close to unmovable given their contracts and performance/injury this year.
