Andres Chavez

The New York Mets, one of the worst teams in the National League with a 46-63 record, are one of the few true sellers heading into Monday’s trade deadline. One of the players drawing the most attention isn’t even healthy at the moment: starting pitcher Clay Holmes. Holmes, who suffered a fractured fibula in mid-May, tossed four scoreless innings on Tuesday’s rehab start at Low-A St. Lucie, hitting 94 mph on the radar gun. Multiple contenders were in attendance to see his progress. The 33-year-old Holmes has a $12 million player option next year, but should be able to get more than that in the open market, provided he gets the chance. The Mets, according to Jon Heyman, aren’t discussing an extension with the former reliever, so it’s safe to say that the pitcher extending his deal to stay in New York is highly unlikely. His fate seems to be sealed: the likelihood of Holmes pitching for a contender in the second half is quite high. “In this sellers’ market, with precious few frontline starters available, this is a big trade piece. Nearly every contender scouted him in his rehab game,” Heyman wrote on X. Holmes has a 2.39 ERA in 52 2/3 innings with the Mets this year, in nine starts. He has walked 18 and struck out 45, with a 4-4 record. View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images The New York Mets will be one of the most active teams ahead of the trade deadline, just not in the exact way they envisioned before the start of the season. They are expected to be among the few sellers in baseball, looking to offload most of their veterans before August 3. They are expected to keep a short list of players off limits, though. Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, Francisco Alvarez, and Juan Soto are some of them. Is it time to add rookie left-hander Zac Thornton to that exclusive list? After tossing six shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week, the southpaw now boasts a 1.93 ERA in four starts at the MLB level this season. Is he the newest Mets’ pitching star? Understanding What the Mets Have In Rookie Zac Thornton Thornton, a fifth-round pick out of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix back in 2023, averages 92 mph with his four-seam fastball. He also boasts a mediocre 19.5 percent strikeout rate in the extremely small sample of 23 1/3 innings. To make matters worse, Thornton had as many whiffs, six, as he allowed hard-hit balls in that start against the Brewers. Overall, his 21.3 percent whiff rate would rank him in the bottom quarter of the league if he qualified. The point, if you haven’t caught it by now, is clear: Thornton is no ace. He doesn’t have McLean’s ceiling, in case you were asking. That, however, doesn’t mean he can’t be a quality piece in a major-league rotation, which takes us to our point: Thornton is well worth keeping around. We are talking about a 24-year-old left-hander with six full seasons of cheap team control who has shown an ability to throw strikes in his first four MLB outings. He is walking just 2.31 batters per nine frames in the limited sample, so even though he is just striking out 6.56 hitters per nine, he has proven effective at keeping traffic off the basepaths. Before being called up to the majors, he had a 4.30 ERA and a 5.46 FIP in 37 2/3 Triple-A innings. He was a completely different pitcher, with 4.30 walks per nine and 9.08 strikeouts per nine. What could have happened is that the Triple-A coaching staff might have given him different indications than the Mets’ staff did once he was called up. Or, you know, he is still trying to find his identity. In any case, we have seen enough to be intrigued. Thornton uses six pitches: a cutter (41.4 percent), a four-seamer (27.4 percent), a sweeper (14.6 percent), a sinker (11.8 percent), a changeup (3.1 percent), and a curveball (1.6 percent). The sweeper has earned him a solid 34.8 percent whiff rate so far. The cutter is the foundation of his repertoire. He generally targets the low-and-in corner against righties, which would be the low-and-away part of the zone for lefties, and generally does a good job locating the pitch: Thornton is a pitcher who needs to show excellent command to thrive. That has mostly been the case so far in his first four starts, but MLB hitters will make him pay when he doesn’t because he doesn’t really have overpowering stuff. It’s what caps his ceiling. Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say about him: “His fastball velocity only sits 89-92 mph (occasionally popping 95), but with some deception and ride on the heater, he can still put it past bats at the top rail. His 83-86 mph slider remains his best pitch. It’s a two-plane breaker that he can spot exceptionally well to the gloveside, and he isn’t afraid of bringing it in on righties. His upper-80s cutter gives him another chase-heavy pitch. His 82-84 mph changeup and slow mid-70s curveball occasionally get folded in but find the zone much less often than his other offerings.” The slider they are referring to is basically what Baseball Savant calls his sweeper. It helps that he can use it against both righties and lefties and that he has excellent command of it. All things considered, Thornton’s deep repertoire, solid control, and craftiness on the mound, not to mention a ‘bulldog mentality’ as described by MLB Pipeline, give him a chance to be a solid back-end starter for the Mets. As long as fans don’t expect him to be an ace, he can be a valuable piece of the next competitive team this organization fields. View full article

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images The New York Mets are currently the only NL East team below .500, completely buried in the division and only better than the Colorado Rockies in the National League. To say that things haven’t gone as planned in Queens this year would be an understatement. They won’t say it out loud, but the focus of the 2026 season is now accumulating as many young, talented, and, preferably, near-MLB-ready assets as possible. If, along the way, they can get rid of some pricey and struggling veterans, they surely will be ready to listen. Every case needs to be studied and analyzed individually, though. Of course, it makes more sense to keep certain players than others if they really want to compete next year. The Mets Have A Unique Trade Deadline Opportunity In Front of Them With that in mind, the Mets certainly have talented veterans who might be appealing for contenders: Luis Robert Jr. could become someone’s center fielder, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter are all having amazing seasons and have the track record of success needed to bring in something relevant in return, and Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco are both proven and versatile despite not really performing well in 2026 and being labeled by many as offseason busts. Additionally, Freddy Peralta is already generating interest despite underperforming with a 5.01 ERA as of Tuesday afternoon. We’re sure the Mets are willing to listen to approaches for every pitcher not named Nolan McLean or Christian Scott. The primary takeaway from the pre-deadline period for the Mets is not the fact that they will probably be active, but instead, that they appear to be in a position of strength at the moment. There aren’t many clear-cut sellers in the market, as most teams are either leading their division or competing for a Wild Card spot. Who Will Join the Mets As Sellers? If we had to name those squads that will clearly sell, the Mets would be joined by the Colorado Rockies, the Los Angeles Angels, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Kansas City Royals. That’s it. Buyers won’t have many options to choose from, perhaps overpricing the precious few assets available. Even the 43-57 Athletics may want to avoid big sales, since they are just 7.5 games behind the AL West lead and 8.5 games out of the last Wild Card spot. If anything, they may support their exciting young core with some win-now veterans, but there’s a big chance, knowing how they operate, that they decide to sell. You can also make the case that the 45-54 Reds, who are just six games out of the last Wild Card berth in the National League, won’t become sellers, further shrinking the potential pool of available players at the deadline. If the Mets move swiftly and decisively, they have a chance to retool their farm with some quality prospects and still compete in 2027. If they manage to get rid of most of the aforementioned players, plus others, they might get a nice haul and replenish their farm. With Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, McLean, and Scott as the foundation, some savvy offloading process ahead of the deadline, and a good offseason, the Mets could conceivably compete next year... provided that there’s a season, of course. View full article

Image courtesy of © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The 2026 campaign has been an unmitigated disaster for the New York Mets. From several controversial offseason decisions in the construction of the roster to the Francisco Lindor hamate bone surgery and multiple in-season injuries, you can even say things went downhill before the season even started. Speaking of Lindor, some fans believe the last-place Mets, who boast a 40-57 record, should at least listen to potential trade approaches on their franchise shortstop. It’s certainly not a crazy idea. Should they do it, though? Should the Mets entertain the possibility of flipping their star infielder? Let’s just start by saying that any deal involving Lindor is highly unlikely. We are talking about a 32-year-old player making over $30 million per year for five more seasons, plus what’s left of 2026. Teams probably won’t be lining up to acquire a declining player making that much money, especially not with the pending lockout. Mets Will Need to Get Creative to Trade Francisco Lindor It’s certainly not impossible, though. The Mets have proven throughout the years that, at least since Steven Cohen took over, they are willing to cover the salaries of outgoing players in order to maximize the potential return package. To get Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford in 2023, the Mets sent Justin Verlander and a huge chunk of cash ($25 million) to Houston. They did the same with Max Scherzer, paying $35 million to the Texas Rangers to get Luisangel Acuna. To do this with Lindor, however, would be much more complex. The Mets still owe him close to $200 million, which is certainly not insignificant money. Complicating matters is the shortstop's 2026 performance. He slashed .216/.298/.373 with five home runs, two stolen bases, 22 runs scored, 12 RBI, and a 90 wRC+ in 40 games and 171 plate appearances in the first half. He had to deal with the hamate bone surgery in February, and then with a calf strain that landed him on the injured list in late April. He was activated in late June but hasn't been anywhere close to his prime self. Keeping Lindor Is In the Mets' Best Interests Fans’ urgency and desire to trade him are understandable to a degree. The season has been, for lack of a better word, a frustrating one. But keeping him is the wisest choice for now. First of all, trading him at this juncture and with all the aforementioned circumstances would be selling low, and there’s no point in doing that. Additionally, he should eventually return to full health and to top form. It might not happen this month or this season at all, but it will happen in all likelihood. It’s easy to forget just how good Lindor was last season, when he was fully healthy. He slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs, 31 stolen bases, 117 runs scored, and a 129 wRC+. He put up 6.3 fWAR. It might not look like it right now, but Lindor hasn’t forgotten how to play baseball. He just needs to be closer to 100 percent health to show it. Fans might have to temper their expectations a bit for the second half, but even though he is aging, he could be in for a huge bounce-back campaign next year, with the Mets boasting a better team overall. There’s even a chance he starts playing like the Lindor we all know this year, in the second half. Perhaps a trade involving Lindor would become feasible once the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is agreed upon. For now, however, the Mets are virtually stuck with him. That might not be such a bad thing — one rough half shouldn’t make people lose perspective on who he is as a player. View full article

The New York Mets entered the 2026 campaign with big dreams and postseason aspirations. Fast-forward three and a half months, and it’s safe to say that the season has been a complete disaster. They entered the All-Star break with a 40-57 record, the second-worst in the National League. Obviously, the Mets expected to be at or near the top of their division at this point, not at the bottom. The Washington Nationals, one of the worst teams in the league in recent seasons, are eight games ahead of them. Eight. In the middle of all the disappointment, anger, frustration, and sadness associated with the Mets this year, All-Star outfielder Juan Soto has managed to keep his side of the bargain. He is paid to perform like one of the best hitters in MLB, and he has done just that. Even after missing a few games with a calf injury, Soto’s first half has been nothing short of amazing. He is slashing .290/.405/.562 with a 163 wRC+ that ranks fourth in the league among qualified hitters and second in the Senior Circuit behind James Wood’s 166. Juan Soto Is Still A Top-Tier Offensive Machine Here are some of Soto's National League ranks heading into the second half: Batting average: .290 (15th) On-base percentage: .405 (2nd) Slugging percentage: .562 (2nd) wOBA: .408 (2nd) xwOBA: .432 (2nd) BB%: 16.5 (2nd) K%: 12.9 (9th) fWAR: 2.9 (12th) Not too shabby, huh? It has to be heartbreaking for the Mets to have such a gifted offensive player and have nothing to show for it in the standings, but such is life in the competitive National League. New York made countless roster construction mistakes and is paying a hefty price for them, but none of what has happened to this point is Soto’s fault. Soto might not be a vocal leader. He might not be close friends with everybody in the clubhouse. But he doesn’t have to be those things. He just has to work hard, set an example for the young, up-and-coming hitters, and do his thing on the field. And that’s exactly what he does. At a time in which there are few certainties on the Mets, the organization knows that it can count on their big investment to play to the top of his abilities night in and night out. Throughout his Queens tenure thus far, Soto is slashing a jaw-dropping .272/.399/.537 with a .936 OPS, a 161 OPS+, 64 home runs, and 45 stolen bases in a year and a half. He's everything the team has paid him to be. Francisco Lindor might be struggling with the aftermath of his hamate bone surgery, and the young hitters, except A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, might have failed to establish themselves as viable contributors. The pitching staff might be among the most inconsistent in baseball, with a 4.27 ERA that ranks 18th among 30 squads. Soto, however, is there in every game, representing a huge threat for opposing pitchers and showing the mental toughness, strength, and immense talent to produce even in adverse circumstances. Many fans are surely mad or disappointed at Steven Cohen and, mainly, David Stearns for some of their offseason decisions in the last two years. And yet, you can be sure that getting Soto was, and is, one of the best things they have done for the franchise since taking over. View full article

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. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The New York Mets have had to navigate through injuries and unexpected circumstances all year. Even though they have gotten Kodai Senga back from the injured list, they are still dealing with a whole lot of absences. We have listed them all here, sorted by expected timeline. New York Mets' Updated Injury Report: Expected Timelines for Return We'll start with players who should return to Queens before or around the All-Star break, though note that any setbacks can obviously shift these timelines in the wrong direction. Mets Players Who Should Return Soon SS Francisco Lindor The Mets shortstop has been out since April 22 with a calf strain, but is finally starting to turn a corner in his rehab. He played three innings in a simulated game on Monday and could be days away from starting a rehab assignment in the minor leagues, per MLB.com, should additional sim games go well. He had a 93 wRC+ with two homers and two steals in 24 games before hitting the injured list. His return would definitely represent a boost for the Mets. SP Christian Scott On Monday, the Mets placed Scott on the 15-day injured list with a right hip impingement. The move is retroactive to June 12, and it’s seen as a minor issue, so there is a very good chance he makes it back before the end of the month. With a 3.10 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP, Scott had been one of the best and hottest starters on the roster for the Mets. Before allowing four runs in his most recent turn last week, he had an impressive streak of eight consecutive starts with three runs or fewer. IF Jorge Polanco Achilles issues have derailed Polanco’s season to this point. Just when he was getting ready to return, he suffered a difficult setback on June 5 and hasn’t played ever since. In fact, he has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. That, however, was seen as a procedural move. As manager Carlos Mendoza said this week, there’s still a chance Polanco resumes his rehab assignment in a matter of days, not weeks. "I heard he had a good day today, as far as like swinging the bat and all that," the manager said on Monday. "This is a day-to-day type deal." In 14 games at the MLB level this season, the infielder has a .179 batting average and a .532 OPS. IF Ronny Mauricio Mauricio is dealing with a fractured left thumb that he sustained while sliding into first base in early May. He could start a rehab assignment later this week and should be able to return this month if everything goes according to plan. The talented but inconsistent infielder was hitting .219 with a 45 wRC+ in 10 games with New York before hitting the injured list. OF Tyrone Taylor The defensive wizard in center field hit the shelf on May 26, nursing a right hip flexor strain. He resumed running on June 4 and is now performing all baseball activities, so his return is just a matter of getting back into baseball shape. Mendoza said this week that he’s already sprinting at 90 percent effort and making steady progress. Late June seems like a realistic return date for Taylor, who had a disappointing 45 wRC+ at the moment of the injury. Mets Player Who Will Be Out A While Longer OF Luis Robert Jr. Robert has been on the shelf since April 30, nursing a lumbar spine disc herniation. Last week, the outfielder said he hopes to begin running on the field this month. He still has a long way to go before he can be an option to help the Mets, because he needs to run without restrictions, face live pitching, and then go on a rehab assignment. August seems like a good bet for him if there aren’t any setbacks along the way. P Justin Hagenman Hagenman has been a valuable swingman for the Mets since 2025. Unfortunately for him, he went down during a spring training game on March 5 when he fractured a rib. The initial timeline was 4-8 weeks, so he should have returned by now. Instead, he wasn’t even throwing in early June and could be looking at next month in an absolute best-case scenario. August seems more likely, if he returns at all in 2026. SP Clay Holmes Holmes fractured his right fibula on May 16 after being hit by a comebacker. Back then, he was told he needed 6-8 weeks for the injury to heal and another six weeks to build up strength and stamina, so he’s looking at 12-14 weeks since the moment of getting hurt. That makes August a likely return target. The right-hander, owner of a 2.39 ERA in nine starts this year with the Mets, started playing light catch in June so he still has a long way to go. Mets Players Facing Long-term Absences P Tylor Megill Megill underwent Tommy John surgery in September and is already out for the entire 2026 campaign. He is under team control through 2027, so he’s focusing on having a clean, setback-free rehab in order to return to full strength next season. RP Reed Garrett Just like Megill, Garrett underwent Tommy John surgery in October and won’t be an option to return to the Mets until 2027. The steady veteran is under team control through the 2029 campaign. RP Dedniel Nunez Nunez underwent Tommy John surgery last July, so he is highly unlikely to return in 2026. View full article