Three Players New York Mets Should Trade Next After Dealing David Peterson

Early last week, New York Mets team president David Stearns sat before local media and tried to project patience. He said that he wanted to give this team more time to turn itself around, and that the Aug. 3 trade deadline was the club's “cutoff” date to decide whether to make moves. 

Then came an ugly doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. A few minutes after the Game 2 loss, Stearns shipped left-hander David Peterson to the visitors’ clubhouse at Citi Field for infield prospect Cole Mathis. Fans and media figured the front office had changed its mind and was now preparing to sell. A day after the Cubs completed a four-game sweep, manager Carlos Mendoza was fired. Surely, the front office was looking ahead to 2027. 

Whether or not Stearns wants to say it, the Mets will be in sell mode this summer as it falls out of the National League wild-card race. When the time comes to make more moves, these are the first three Mets who should follow Peterson out of Queens, ranked from soonest to latest.

LHP A.J. Minter

Minter has put himself in demand after successfully returning from hip surgery. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 12 2/3 innings through Sunday and has held opponents to a .286 OPS. He leans heavily on his cutter (56 percent usage), which makes him effective against both left-handed and right-handed batters. He's also a veteran with postseason experience.

Money could be an issue. He'll be owed about one-third of his $11 million salary by the deadline. Adding cash in a deal should ensure he goes out the door. The Mets would be wise to capitalize on what is doing now and make a trade before he regresses.

RHP Luke Weaver

Weaver is pitching like the shutdown reliever he was for the Yankees in 2024, so that will make him popular with deadline buyers. His 23-inning scoreless streak has now lasted for two months. He has regained command of his fastball and changeup, and he's attacking hitters as a result.

But as good as Weaver has been, how many teams will want to pay him $12.5 million next season in the final year of his contract, plus what’s left of the $9.5 million he's owed this year, plus a prospect? And do the Mets really want to give up their top set-up man/Devin Williams insurance? If they decide to cash in, then more cash will need to go out.

RHP Freddy Peralta

Peralta could be the Mets’ best available rental if they become sellers, and Stearns could try to create a bidding war that goes to the deadline. But then he'd be risking an injury that would kill a deal, or more bad starts like Peralta's 10-run outing on June 20 vs. the Phillies, which could make other teams skittish.

Peralta has pitched mostly as advertised this season: inefficient, dominant only occasionally, susceptible to the long ball. His 9.2 strikeouts per nine are a career low, and his 2.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio is his worst since his rookie year in 2018. His 4.16 FIP says he has been better than his 4.53 ERA, but neither figure is ace-level. Are teams convinced that he's still a legitimate frontline playoff starter?

If Stearns does play the waiting game with the pitchers, there is a pre-deadline move he can make with a position player. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor is a pending free agent, and he returned from a hip injury last week. His defense and power potential could entice a team into giving up an asset. Again, the Mets might need to send cash in a deal, because he'll be owed around $1.3 million at the deadline. Or, teams might just wait for the Mets to designate Taylor for assignment. New York can recall M.J. Melendez or Jared Oliva from the minors to replace him.