Examining New York Mets' List Of 'Untouchables' Ahead Of Trade Deadline

[Andres Chavez]

Image courtesy of © Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The rumor mill is in full swing, and with the New York Mets being one of the worst teams in the National League, everything points to them offloading some assets for the right price. Not everyone will be allowed to go, though.

We can put the Mets’ players into three tiers: the ones who should be untouchables, those who could potentially go for the right price but the team isn’t inclined to deal, and the ones who should be slapped with the ‘open for business’ label.

Untouchable Mets Players

SS Francisco Lindor, OF A.J. Ewing, OF Carson Benge, SP Nolan McLean, SP Christian Scott, and OF Juan Soto

With an 84 wRC+, Lindor hasn’t really had his finest season. It’s to be expected, though, since he underwent hamate bone surgery and power might take a while to return. He’s still the face of the Mets, though, and should eventually return to his best.

Ewing already has seven home runs, nine stolen bases, a 128 wRC+, and solid defensive play in the outfield. He looks every bit like a keeper and should be a mainstay in the Mets’ future plans.

The early stages of Benge’s season were rough. Weeks passed, and he didn’t seem capable of getting going at the plate. After a little over three months, however, he boasts a .265/.327/.410 line and a 108 wRC+, which is above the league average. With 11 home runs and 12 stolen bases, he could flirt with a 20-20 campaign in his first year. Not bad for a 23-year-old.

It hasn’t always been pretty, but McLean is the face of the Mets’ pitching staff and the guy who will headline their rotation for years to come. His 3.73 ERA differs a lot from last year’s 2.06, but a 3.52 FIP suggests things could be better in the future. McLean strikes people out, does a good job limiting walks, and doesn’t allow too many home runs. He still has the tools to put together Cy Young-caliber seasons in the future, and the Mets shouldn’t even entertain trading him.

Christian Scott is 27, so he is not as young as you probably thought he was. However, he is talented, cheap, and controllable, all desirable traits that will keep him in Queens for a long time. This year, he has posted a 3.17 ERA in 54 frames, with a whopping 65 strikeouts. The more innings he accumulates, the more experience he will gain.

We don’t need to tell you why Soto is a keeper for the Mets. A symbol of the organization’s newfound financial power, the lefty-hitting outfielder remains a formidable hitter in his prime, sporting a 166 wRC+ with 20 home runs and 3.0 fWAR, even though he missed time with a calf injury. He is a true superstar and a building block for future Mets squads, even if the 2026 campaign hasn’t gone the way he wanted.

Could Go For The Right Price

C Francisco Alvarez, SP Clay Holmes, RP Luke Weaver

There have been rumblings about Álvarez being available, and while he might fall just short of the ‘untouchables’ tier, the Mets would have to be blown away by an offer to consider letting him go. The catcher is sporting a solid 107 wRC+ with nine homers, and is still somehow only 24. The Mets will likely keep him, especially because we have seen his best version offensively, and he is much better than this. His defense behind the plate seems to be trending in the wrong direction, though.

Holmes is certainly an interesting case. He is 33, injured, and could become a free agent after the season, so there’s a world in which the Mets explore a trade, considering how much they could get for a potential rental this year. With a 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings, New York could very much fetch something of value, provided his rehab from a fractured fibula remains on track. He is expected to return in August.

Weaver is in the first season of a two-year deal. He has a shiny 1.89 ERA and hasn’t given up an earned run since April, so the Mets would love to keep him with a 2027 run in mind. Unless someone grossly overpays, he will stay in Queens past August 3.

Open For Business

Everyone else

The Mets should be willing to listen to trade approaches on pretty much everyone else on the roster, including many of their offseason acquisitions for this year. We are not saying that a dramatic turnaround is impossible, but it’s not looking particularly likely.

Additionally, we are not saying that the Mets should go out and trade everyone not listed in the first two tiers. However, the newcomers, the injured players, the reclamation projects, the aging veterans, the struggling young prospects, and everyone not in the previous groups must be considered ‘tradeable’.

That doesn't mean the Mets will just give them away, but they could and should be more open to trades involving these players if the return can help them compete in 2027 and beyond.

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[smg58]

I would be surprised if somebody takes a flyer on Bichette.  At his best he not worth $42M per year, and gambling on him opting out is something a smart team wouldn't do.

Trading Alvarez makes no sense at all.  As much as I like Torrens' defense, he's a black hole in a lineup that is already starved for offense.  Dealing Alvarez would just add to next year's shopping list.

We would be selling very high on Weaver, and I'm all for it.

I think there will be too much doubt about Holmes to net us more than the QO would get us, so I'm for staying put with him.  Plus, he could reasonably opt to take the QO.  (He's definitely opting out of the contract.)

[Cowtipper]

I'd like to keep the established really big stars, those who have done something. So I'd probably just rank Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor as untradeable. Everyone else can probably go. That's a slight pivot over what I've said in the past, but at this point I do think a fire sale might be the best bet. 

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

I'm not in favor of it but I could see them dealing Lindor; there's something wrong with the fit here and we're deep enough where a return to form this year doesn't get us anywhere.

Great Met but they all come to an end some time.

[metirish]

Agree on Lindor ,I think they at least put it out there and listen to offers 

[Gwreck]

1 hour ago, Johnny Lunchbucket said:

I'm not in favor of it but I could see them dealing Lindor; there's something wrong with the fit here

There might be a better thread for this but I am of the opinion that the supposed problems regarding “fit” or “chemistry” with Lindor is absolute and total bullshit.  

And, even assuming there is something there, it’s on the Mets to take the parties into a room, remind them they’re paid tens of millions of dollars each year and to figure it out and play nicely in the sandbox.

Obviously Lindor’s been hurt this year but in 2025 neither he nor Soto was the problem (and the Mets still finished 6th in the league in offense).  And Soto again isn’t the problem this year.

Also the Mets have no meaningful replacement for Lindor in the foreseeable future.  And trading the back half of aging player contracts is never a good bet, so to get some team to acquire him will probably require at least 2 of the following (1) the Mets eat money (2) the Mets throw in an additional valuable player (3) the Mets accept an underwhelming return or (4) the acquiring team employs Brodie Van Wegenen as general manger.

In short, Lindor‘s not getting traded, nor should he.

[smg58]

You would be selling low on Lindor, and then you'd be assuming you could find somebody better in the offseason than a (presumably) healthy Lindor would be in 2027.  

I've always worked under the assumption that on-field results are more likely to influence what goes on in the clubhouse than the other way around.  Given how things went the second half of last season and the first half of this one, I'd be more concerned if everybody was happy.

We can (and have, and will some more) grumble over the questionable personnel decisions, but the team has also had more than it's share of crummy injury luck.  I think a full-on fire sale would do more harm than good.  There's no point in selling low on anybody who's still under team control.  

[Centerfield]

I would put every Met in the category “Go for the right price”. 
 

I don’t get Carson Benge being an untouchable. He’s promising yes, but he’s a corner OF with a .729 OPS. There are lots of players I’d trade for Carson Benge.