Gauging A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley's Trade Values Ahead of Mets' Deadline Fire Sale

[Cade Lalim]

Image courtesy of © Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Despite having the second-highest payroll in the league, the New York Mets have not been able to put it together this season and currently sit 18 games under .500. What seemed to be a promising offseason after they brought in Freddy Peralta, Bo Bichette, and Luis Robert Jr., it’s shaping up to be another disappointing season after barely missing the postseason in 2025.

With the trade deadline looming closer on Aug. 3, the Mets have found themselves in a position to be sellers while having quite a few pieces to be moved. Freddy Peralta and Tyrone Taylor are obvious candidates considering they are both on expiring contracts, but they also have a pair of relievers in A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley who would fill short-term needs in contenders' bullpens.

Out of all players on the Mets roster, Minter and Raley surely have the highest chance to finish the season with another club. Being able to find good lefty relievers can sometimes be a tough task, making their respective strong seasons extremely attractive on the trade market.

A.J. Minter, LHP

After a dominant stretch with the Atlanta Braves from 2017 through 2024 where he posted a 3.28 ERA and 1.20 WHIP, Minter has carried over his success to the Mets since joining the club for the start of the 2025 campaign.

He signed a two-year, $22 million contract leading up to the start of last season, but his year was cut short after just 13 appearances when he suffered a season ending lat injury in his throwing arm. Minter’s 2026 campaign had a delayed start while continuing to recover from his injury, but he’s since pitched to a solid 2.45 ERA across 22 innings after making his season debut on May 26.

While his 2.45 ERA looks promising, his FIP sits a bit higher at a 4.11 mark due to already surrendering four home runs and only striking out 20.5% of batters. Putting that aside, the veteran has done an exceptional job controlling counts, hence his 2.3% walk rate. He won’t get hit very hard and does a good job inducing chases outside the zone, but his stuff isn’t very overwhelming and doesn’t get that many ground balls.

For a veteran like Minter who’s constantly shown the ability to be reliable at the major-league level, he will be a very popular name thrown around in trade talks and teams will value what he brings to the table. That he's a southpaw capable of shutting down left-handed hitters only boosts his stock further. A top-10 organizational prospect and a low-level flier would be a reasonable price to set.

Brooks Raley, LHP

Raley, similar to Minter, has battled a pretty significant injury in recent times -- in May of 2024, he underwent Tommy John surgery which limited him to 32.2 between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Since being activated last July, Raley has returned to being one of the better relievers in the game.

In 37.2 innings this year spanning 42 games, Raley owns a 2.15 ERA and 1.17 WHIP while also accumulating 1.3 bWAR. The best part about Raley’s profile is his elite ability to not give up many hard-hit balls. His 4.9% barrel rate ranks in the 88th percentile while his 31.1% hard-hit rate places him in the 91st percentile -- between the pairing of those elite metrics, Raley has only allowed two home runs so far this season.

He’s a deceptive lefty who throws across his body with a pretty flat 32° release point. It works well for someone who relies heavily on a sweeper and cutter. While his stuff isn’t going to generate much chase or swing and miss, Raley’s blend of breaking balls and a flat arm slot makes it hard for batters to square up.

He also comes at a cheaper salary than Minter ($4.75 million compared to $11 million), meaning he could garner a slightly larger return package, though it should be comparable.

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