Here comes the trade deadline!

[Benjamin Grimm]

There's going to be a lot of speculation. 

I'm pasting some highlights from an article that's currently on SNY's site at https://sny.tv/articles/mets-trade-deadline-intel-7-6-26

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The Mets plan to contend next year, so they are not approaching this deadline as the first domino to fall in a lengthy rebuild.

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 Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and other rookie-aged players are all but completely untouchable, given that those are precisely the type of assets a team intending to contend next year would be seeking in deadline deals. 

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The Mets are going to chase the best talent available regardless of position, minor league level, or major league readiness, according to people familiar with their thinking. They will not be prioritizing major league needs (like, say, controllable starting pitching) or any specific position, which does not mean they might not find themselves acquiring it if that is the best talent offered them. 

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People familiar with the Mets' thinking say they still do not have a sense of whether Bichette will opt out of his three-year, $142 million deal after this year.

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...it seems that while the Mets are open to moving controllable relievers like Brazoban or even Austin Warren, they are not necessarily comfortable starting from scratch in the bullpen in 2027. It seems more likely that one or two of those under team control beyond this season would go, rather than all of them.

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As much as Mets fans might wish they could offload struggling young players like Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio in exchange for future Mets saviors, none of those three is likely to yield a substantial return.

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Still, some within the Mets front office still believe Baty will emerge as a lineup staple, which means they will not part with him for nothing.

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But the most likely member of that baby Mets generation to be traded might be Alvarez, who has demonstrated an ability to produce as a designated hitter even if his catching has not necessarily evolved into a defensive asset. 

 

[Frayed Knot]

Mike Francesa, via whatever tin-can-and-string operation he broadcasts (narrowcasts?) on these days, claims that the Mets aren't just listening to offers for Lindor but are 'actively looking to deal him'. “I don’t think they [Soto and Lindor] get along at all,” said Francesa despite Steve Cohen's recent claim that things are much better between them this year, “Everything I’ve heard all along is that they don’t like each other. So they can say what they want. I don't think there's any question that the Mets are going to try very, very hard to trade Lindor"

MLB reporter Ken Rosenthal shoots all that down saying it's not anything he's heard nor is any beat reporter saying it. "I don't see it", said Rosenthal, "The only person reporting this is Mike Francesa and he's not a beat reporter"

 

Me: This wouldn't be the first time Mikey had cited dubious (and un-named) sources as a basis for his claim of being the guy who knows all.

[Benjamin Grimm]

This paragraph is from the response to a reader's question in a mailbag post in The Athletic today:

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We’ve already reported the Mets’ aim in trading away major-league talent at the deadline is to amass prospects who could subsequently be moved this winter for major-league talent that helps in 2027. Stearns’ track record there shows how that might work.

 

[smg58]

Realism is important.  You aren't going to get a high-end prospect for a rental, but you might as well get something.  The players under team control consist of guys they'd be selling low on (Lindor, Alvarez, Baty), guys who are being paid more than they're worth (Polanco, Williams), guys who might opt out (Bichette), guys who will opt out but aren't healthy (Holmes), and one sell-high opportunity (Weaver).  So I wouldn't expect anything eye-popping.

Making the team worse to placate somebody who will opt out at his first chance anyway makes no sense.  I don't see it happening.

Alvarez has struggled to stay healthy, and it's hurt his performance both with the bat and the glove, but I think shipping him out under the assumption that improving on him will be easy would be a huge mistake.

Weaver would be far easier to replace than either Lindor or Alvarez.

Baty... the irony here is the Mets have held on to Baty when they presumably could have sold very high on him at a few trade deadlines or in offseasons, and now they'd be selling painfully low.  Like with Vientos, I wouldn't cut bait just to be rid of him.  I do think Baty has been playing hurt.  But his upside, barring a substantially improved reading of the strike zone, is a useful reserve.

[seawolf17]

Agree on all counts. The only guys they're getting any value for are Weaver, who might actually be worth keeping, and maybe Holmes.

I don't think Alvarez goes anywhere, unless they think Kevin Parada's AAA resurgence is real. Parada, for what it's worth, is actually *older* than Alvarez, but they might figure on a Torrens platoon moving forward. I don't know.

If they trade Lindor, I will fight someone. You can't keep kneecapping your fan base by getting rid of intensely popular players just for the fuck of it without some consequences. Lindor makes more money for the team than he earns. He's staying.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'd also be upset if Lindor went. He's been my favorite Met of the current decade. (Pete a close second.) 

I've seen a few reports that Holmes wants to stay, and is willing to discuss an extension. If true, I hope they work it out. There's a better than even chance that Holmes over the next few years would be a better asset than whomever they would get for him in a trade.

[Edgy MD]

2 hours ago, smg58 said:

Realism is important.  You aren't going to get a high-end prospect for a rental, ... .

It's been known to happen.

[Benjamin Grimm]

7 minutes ago, Edgy MD said:

It's been known to happen.

[Edgy MD]

That guy knows what I'm talking about!

[smg58]

Fine.  You shouldn't expect to get a high end prospect for a rental.  Teams haven't really been doing that for a while, excepting very elite players, and Crow-Armstrong is exhibit A for why not.

And on the other side, you have to wonder what offers were rejected in 2022 or 2023 because they included Parada.

[Edgy MD]

I'm not sure I have to wonder that.

I really don't expect to get a high-end prospect for a rental.  I wish they wouldn't trade at all, and if they must, I hope they do so as wisely as possible within that framework.

[MFS62]

4 hours ago, seawolf17 said:

I don't think Alvarez goes anywhere, unless they think Kevin Parada's AAA resurgence is real. Parada, for what it's worth, is actually *older* than Alvarez, but they might figure on a Torrens platoon moving forward. I don't know.

 

I saw Parada on Sunday. He's back in AA, so that surgence (can it be a re surgence if he never surged?) has stopped.

Later

[Gwreck]

Crow-Armstrong was 19 years old when traded, didn’t play as an 18 year-old in 2020 (COVID) and had played only 6 games in 2021 (shoulder surgery).  

Obviously he had lots of potential as a first round pick but he was very much still a big unknown when traded.  (Compare to:  Scott Kazmir, who was major-league ready when traded).

[Edgy MD]

Really, there are plenty of future stars, apart from Pete Crow-Armstrong who were traded at or near (or after!) the deadline for short-term help down the stretch — including Hall of Famers.  Jeff Bagwell!  John Smoltz! 

Gleyber Torres became a Yankee at the deadline.  Jeff Kent.  Michael Fulmer was the bee's buttocks until he got hurt.  The Astros picked the Dodgers' pockets when they got Yordan Alvarez.

Remember when the Mets were going to get Carlos Gomez from Milwaukee down the stretch in 2015?  They were really close, but then they pivoted to pursuing Yoenis Cespedes? 

Gomez didn't stay put.  He ended up going to the Astros for Josh Hader, one of the most dominant relievers known to man, and one of the most racist/sexist/gaybashing persons known to Twitter (not really most, but, you know).

As shortsighted as such deals are (to my thinking, anyhow), I expect, if anything, such trades like these to happen more in the future, as the expanded playoff picture has created an expanded pool of buyers and a diminished pool of sellers.

[Edgy MD]

22 minutes ago, Gwreck said:

Crow-Armstrong was 19 years old when traded, didn’t play as an 18 year-old in 2020 (COVID) and had played only 6 games in 2021 (shoulder surgery).  

The claim was that one isn't going to get a "high-end prospect for a rental."  Obviously, "high-end" is a relative concept, and where one person draws the line of high-end may not be where others do.

I however think it's a pretty safe bet that most would have included Pete Crow-Armstrong (19 years old and 19th overall pick less than a year before) as a top prospect. 

Adding "major-league ready," though, is a new matter.  Some "high-end prospects" are 19 and some are 24.  They get ranked together and both have value.

Whether it's Crow-Armstrong in the low minors or Scott Kazmir knocking on the door of the bigs, though, yes, high-end prospects get moved for short-term help.

[Cowtipper]

I don't know if this thread was meant to be just about the Mets, but here are some trades by other teams that have happened so far:

Houston Astros to trade RHP Lance McCullers Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon to Milwaukee Brewers for an as-yet unknown return.

Detroit Tigers traded OF Jahmai Jones to Boston Red Sox for Player To Be Named Later.

Milwaukee Brewers traded RHP Easton McGee to Kansas City Royals for cash.

Houston Astros traded SS Braden Shewmake to Milwaukee Brewers.

Chicago White Sox traded LHP Brandon Eisert and 1B Jacob Gonzalez to Pittsburgh Pirates for LHP Jaden Woods and Future Considerations.

Toronto Blue Jays traded RHP Tommy Nance to Minnesota Twins for C Ryan Sprock and Future Considerations.

Pittsburgh Pirates traded RHP Cam Sanders to Baltimore Orioles for cash.

Detroit Tigers traded RHP Woo-Suk Go to Minnesota Twins for cash.

Philadelphia Phillies traded RHP Ryan Degges to Cleveland Guardians for cash.

Houston Astros traded LHP Tom Cosgrove to Washington Nationals for cash.

Baltimore Orioles traded RHP Kyle Nicolas to Washington Nationals for SS Randal Diaz.

Athletics traded 3B Brett Harris to Boston Red Sox for RHP Ben Hansen.

[ashie62]

Lance McCullers Jr goes from the Astros to the Brewers in a salary dump

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

More like Woo-suk Gone, amiright fellas?!?

[Cowtipper]

The return for McCullers and Gordon is minor league OF Jadyn Fielder.

[Frayed Knot]

McCullers has been injured -- seemingly forever -- as he's appeared in just 8 games this season and a total of  32 since the start of 2022. But maybe he's ready to come back (hasn't pitched since mid-May) so the Astros are looking to cut ties with their former 1st round (41st overall) draft pick and the Tigers are hoping for short term contributions in a year with a winnable division and a weak AL overall. McCullers will be a FA this winter.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Laura Albanese in Newsday:

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Stearns now has a pivotal trade deadline ahead of him, and though he’ll certainly want to collect the usual bounty of prospects, he’ll no doubt also be assessing trades that could net the Mets players that can help them sooner rather than much, much later. 

This is what I've been thinking. I'd really like to see Stearns bring in some players who have at least a little bit of a track record and can help in 2027. I acknowledge that this is much easier said than done. The 2027 guy you might want is likely a contributor to the 2026 team that's trying to lock in a postseason slot.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Let's get with the bleedin' trades already. I can't stand this team and it needs to change

[metirish]

I'm more excited to see who Stearns can move on as opposed to who he can get in return , hard for me to get excited about prospects that might help down the line 

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not interested in "down the line" either. I'd much prefer a AAA guy who's a top 30 prospect in the organization than a Single-A guy who's a top 10. Stearns is under pressure to turn things around sooner rather than later, so I don't expect him to trade for any 19-year-olds. But I didn't expect him to trade Nimmo for Semien either, so who can say? 

[Frayed Knot]

I was going to say that the 'help sooner than later' philosophy is at least part of what went on in the off-season where Stearns made trades that many of us didn't like then and like even less now that they've struggled or been injured or been both.

And if it's lower-upside but closer to ready types, those guys aren't likely to be any more promising than Baty or Vientos (or Alvarez or Luisangel or Mauricio). They'll theoretically be younger, cheaper, and with six years of control rather than around three (although who knows if that will all change with the new CBA). iow, anyone who is close to ready but is no better than the back half of some team's top-30 list could very well be a downgrade from what you're giving for him(s).

[Benjamin Grimm]

I just thought of Steve Henderson. I'd love for the Mets to be able to get a Steve Henderson. When the Mets got him, he was ready to play in the big leagues but just hadn't yet. The problem is, I don't think the Mets have anyone who will get them a Steve Henderson, but that's the ideal as far as I'm concerned.

[Edgy MD]

19 hours ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

More like Woo-suk Gone, amiright fellas?!?

Go may be just at the margins of the big leagues, but he's part of a big-time family act.  His wife is Lee Ga-hyun, sister of Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee, and daughter of Lee Jong-beom, KBO legend (MVP, six Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star games, four KBO championships) who was blessed with one of the all-time great nicknames — Son of the Wind.

This makes Go the Grandson-in-Law of the Wind.

[Cowtipper]

Washington Nationals traded CF Robert Hassell III to Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

[Frayed Knot]

50 minutes ago, Benjamin Grimm said:

I just thought of Steve Henderson. I'd love for the Mets to be able to get a Steve Henderson

Well, sure, but Henderson wasn't some mere 'top-30' prospect. He was a 24 y/o with a 900+ OPS at AAA (60 G) which tacked onto the near-900 OPS he had across 134 games the previous season in AA. He would have been at or near the top of not only Cincy's list but likely an upper echelon prospect in all MLB.

[ashie62]

1 minute ago, Frayed Knot said:

Well, sure, but Henderson wasn't some mere 'top-30' prospect. He was a 24 y/o with a 900+ OPS at AAA (60 G) which tacked onto the near-900 OPS he had across 134 games the previous season in AA. He would have been at or near the top of not only Cincy's list but likely an upper echelon prospect in all MLB.

The MLB talent pool was much smaller then