Michael Reed

Image courtesy of © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Shortly after the New York Mets let franchise icon Pete Alonso go in free agency, they signed Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal. The 13-year veteran, who has been predominantly a second basemen his whole career, was tasked with learning first base in hopes of replacing Alonso. The Problem? Polanco has not been better than league average at any aspect of baseball this season. The 33-year-old has missed most of the season due to a right wrist contusion and chronic left achilles bursitis, playing in only 34 games. Currently, Polanco is tied for the lowest fWAR in baseball with -1.3, and his wRC+ of 19 suggests he's earning $20 million to be 81% worse than a league-average hitter. Yikes. Polanco’s slash line of .137/.195/.226 might not get much better down the stretch, as all advanced metrics show no signs of unlucky hitting. Jared Young has taken over the first base position in Polanco’s absence, and manager Andy Green surely won't make the switch back to Polanco with how good Young has been. In 2027, Polanco will be turning 34 coming off his career worst season as a starter, having played less than half of a season and will make another $20 million. When looking at the information in front of him during the offseason, Mets owner Steve Cohen and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns surely will not be happy with this result and will look to sign a replacement. Though unlikely, they could also look to offload his contract elsewhere. The Mets and Steve Cohen would have to take on a huge chunk if they want to get a deal done, though, which might not be as enviable in a post-lockout world. If all else fails, Stearns might just cut his losses like he did with Frankie Montas and release him. In the future, Stearns and his front office have to be better at discerning when to buy high on a player; coming off a career year last year at age 32 with a 133 OPS+, Polanco was bound for some sort of regression, and it came. With players like Munetaka Murakami, Pete Alonso, Josh Naylor, Luis Arraez, Kazuma Okamoto and Willson Contreras all available last offseason, regret is ripe in the air. The Mets' failed 2026 season could look a whole lot different if any of these players were playing first base these days. Alas, Polanco is here, though perhaps not for much longer. View full article

Image courtesy of © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images In 2024, the New York Mets acquired catcher Luis Torrens from the New York Yankees for 100,000 in cash considerations. Since then, Torrens has gone from a a third-string catcher behind Francisco Alvarez and former Met Omar Narvaez to sharing the starting catcher spot with Alvarez. There is value in a dependable catcher and contending teams know that, which is why the vet may not be around for much longer. Since joining the Mets, Torrens’ primary strength is his defense. He ranks in the top three league-wide in almost all defensive catching statistics, including Fielding Run Value, Caught Stealers Above Average, Framing and Pop Time. While he doesn't offer much of anything at the plate (71 wRC+, .602 OPS this season), he's as good as it gets when it comes to run prevention, which is a backstop's primary function. This is where we enter a paradox. The Mets probably don't want to trade Torrens; the New York Post’s Jon Heyman said that “The Mets are very reluctant to deal Luis Torrens and view him as a key part of their 2027 team." At the same time, others reports say that the White Sox have interest in the nine-year veteran. The White Sox catcher depth consists of Drew Romo and Edgar Quero, and with neither of them having a good season, it makes sense that they would call the Mets. In conjunction with reports that Francisco Alvarez could be available, David Stearns will be fielding a lot of calls regarding their catcher depth. In a lost season, the Mets are trading every player that is not a part of the core, which means a fire sale will take place before the Aug. 3 deadline. Heck, they already got the party started by surrendering A.J. Minter to the Minnesota Twins just before the weekend. Sure, the Mets could absolutely hold onto Torrens and keep their catching duo together for 2027, but should they? Torrens' value is as steady as they come as a defense-first catcher, and there's plenty of contenders out there looking for just that type of player. There's real merit to picking up as much prospect depth as possible, even if it means adding another agenda item to the offseason to-do list. View full article

Jonah TongJack WenningerElian PenaJonathan SantucciRyan CliffordJacob ReimerMitch VoitCarson WigginsNick MorabitoZach ThorntonChris SueroWandy AsigenAiden RobbinsWill WatsonEli Serrano IIIRandy GuzmanDylan RossRyan LambertAntonio JimenezR.J. Gordon

Image courtesy of © Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Luke Weaver’s first half was nothing short of heroic, going from being borderline unusable for the first month of the season to being the clear best arm in the New York Mets' bullpen. With the Aug. 3 deadline approaching, president of baseball operations David Stearns has to evaluate what it would take to part with such a reliable arm. Weaver signed a two-year, $22 million dollar deal this past offseason to be the primary set-up man to closer Devin Williams. While Williams has struggled mightily this season, Weaver has flourished. In 40 innings, he has only allowed nine earned runs, with eight of them coming in the month of April. Weaver’s 207 ERA+ ranks among the top in baseball. If the season ended today, Weaver would finish with career bests in ERA, ERA+, FIP, WHIP and hits per nine innings. Few relievers in baseball are pitching as well as the Mets' high-leverage fireman and opposing organizations will realize that. The thing is, this caliber of production isn't a guarantee to continue moving forward; if the Mets hold onto Weaver at this deadline and he struggles next season, fans will look back and wonder what they could have gotten for the 32-year-old right-hander. They should not make that mistake. So, with Weaver having a career year and the Mets fully committed to selling this deadline, it's time to cash in. Weaver’s extra year of control will drive up his value, and though it might be tempting to hold onto him for a run in 2027, that's just not advisable. New York should probably end up with potentially add two top-ten prospects from a contending organization in exchange for Weaver. They can't ignore that kind of on-the-fly farm system invigoration, especially knowing that they've already called up many of their top prospects this year. Relievers are just too volatile not to trade at the peak of their value; there's nothing guaranteeing that Weaver will this good next year for a hopefully better Mets team in his age-33 season. And that's ignoring the possibility that the 2027 campaign in axed due to the expected lockout. Because of that impending lockout, most teams will go for it this year and prospects will be thrown around like there's no tomorrow. David Stearns will know to take advantage of those market conditions, even if it means parting with his best offseason addition. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images To most New York Mets fans, the thought of trading young catcher Francisco Alvarez never seemed like an option. That was until Will Sammon of The Athletic mentioned that evaluators around the league believe that the Mets could get a substantial return for the former top prospect at this year's trade deadline. It is hard to label Alvarez as a bust, but he certainly has not lived up to the sky-high expectations that were put onto him. In 2023, the top three prospects in baseball were Orioles All-Star Gunnar Henderson, Diamondbacks All-Star Corbin Carroll and then Alvarez, who certainly has not been near the level of the other two. Later that season, both Henderson and Carroll won Rookie of the Year, and Alvarez did not receive a single vote. Across parts of five seasons in the majors, Alvarez has a .234 average with a 106 wRC+. He has been constantly sidelined with various injuries throughout his young career, with his career high in games played coming in his rookie season with 123. There are parts of his game that are still begging for improvement, namely in terms of plate discipline. He works his fair share of walks, but he's got a bad habit of chasing outside the zone, which leads to big swing-and-miss numbers. Alvarez does a good job of negating some of that with huge exit velocity numbers and a proclivity for meeting the ball with the barrel of his bat, but he still hasn't matured in the batter's box the way most have hoped. With that being said, I am not sure now is the time to move Alvarez. The Mets need to look at themselves in a mirror and realize they need to rebuild. One thing you should not do in a rebuild is trade a 24-year-old former top prospect with three more years of control. The Mets also do not have many catchers in waiting if Alvarez is moved. Kevin Parada can very well be labeled as a bust as he was recently emoted from Triple-A to Double-A. Yovanny Rodriquez has been good but he is still in rookie ball and at least three years away. Luis Torrens seems like the more likely trade candidate of the two. Torrens received an extension this offseason and is still one of the most undervalued catchers in baseball. He's an elite defender who should appeal to any contender in need of a veteran backstop. Barring a huge return, all the Mets should be doing with Alvarez is their due diligence. He is an integral part of this team, both now and in the future. View full article

Image courtesy of © Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images The New York Mets were clearly in a win-now position around the trade deadline last season, and David Stearns’ trade acquisitions were indicative of that. However, one year later, we can comfortably say his plan didn't work out. In the midst of another failed season by this organization, it feels right to look back at what went wrong last season, particularly the 2025 deadline from hell. The Mets needing starting pitching and not acquiring any was the beginning of the end for this team, and the four acquisitions they did make almost certainly made the team a lot worse. To start off the deadline, Stearns acquired Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitching prospects Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Soto was brought over to pitch against lefties; a simple enough task, right? Wrong. Soto’s ERA in September was a 7.94, not nearly good enough for the Mets, who were trying to make a playoff push. Soto was usually used as a set-up man for the team, and yet, in the eighth inning he managed a 4.94 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP. Since then, Soto signed in the offseason with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soto currently manages a 3.30 xERA and 1.11 WHIP in 35 IP. Neither one of Aracena or Foster has cracked the Orioles' top 30 prospects yet, with the latter pitching six games this season in the majors (9.00 ERA). Next, Stearns traded three major-league-caliber players in Drew Gilbert, Jose Butto and Blade Tidwell to the San Francisco Giants for Tyler Rogers. In 27 innings pitched for the Mets, Rogers turned out all right. He pitched to a 2.30 ERA and was a useful arm in the bullpen. His strikeout rate did plummet from 20.2% with the Giants to 9.0% with the Mets, though. None of the outgoing players have fully broken out at the major-league level but they have been mostly solid. Tidwell is currently in Triple-A but did sport 3.00 ERA in the big leagues with a 136 ERA+. Butto was only able to pitch three games before heading to the 60-day IL. To begin the season, Drew Gilbert was an electric factory for the team but has since calmed down. Stearns intended to re-sign Rogers but he chose the Blue Jays this offseason, with whom he currently owns a 1.82 ERA. The Mets' biggest deadline splash was a trade for star closer Ryan Helsley, parting with top-10 prospect Jesus Baez, along with pitching prospects Nate Dohm and Frank Elissalt. When people talk about the 2025 deadline, the failure of Ryan Helsley will be the first thought in mind. In 22 games with the Mets, he mustered up a 7.20 ERA with 58 ERA+ and a 5.19 FIP. For most of his tenure in Queens, Helsley struggled with finding the strike zone and tipping pitches. His 100 mph fastball ended up being one of the worst in baseball, producing -15 Fastball Run Value. Jesus Baez is currently destroying Double-A pitching to the tune of a .353 average. Dohm is the Cardinals' No. 30 prospect but currently sports an 8.21 ERA in High-A. Elissalt is currently on the 60-day IL. Helsley signed with the Orioles at the beginning of the offseason on a two-year deal and, to the Mets' dismay, he has become a respectable closer again. Stearns’ final acquisition was trading for Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, parting with prospects Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez, and Chandler Marsh. The Mets needed a true center fielder last season, as Jeff McNeil and Tyrone Taylor saw the lion share of at-bats there and neither hit well. However, Mullins struggled during his stint in New York, slashing just .182/.284/.281 in 42 appearances. Nunez has struggled recently but was dominant to start the year. Gomez sports a 27.00 ERA in eight games in A+ ball. Marsh owns a 4.40 ERA in High-A. Mullins, like the rest of these players, decided not to re-sign with the Mets and instead joined forces with the Tampa Bay Rays. He has not been great either this year, posting a career-low 74 wRC+. To put it plainly, the Mets missed the playoffs last year in part due to their atrocious deadline performance. A majority of the prospects are not panning out, none of the acquired players are still on the team, and the Mets are still struggling. Some might call this a lose-lose-lose situation. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kyle Ross-Imagn Images After a 12-game losing streak at the beginning of the season, the New York Mets have still been unable to dig themselves out of that hole, and questions about the upcoming trade deadline loom. The Mets have less than two months to better their record of 34-44, third-worst in the National League, lest they face a roster overhaul at the deadline. Similar to 2023, this roster has largely underachieved and David Stearns would not be shy to shed payroll and acquire players for the future like Billy Eppler did, especially with a 2027 lockout on the horizon. This is not a roster that have been around each other for years, so gutting the clubhouse will not be an issue here. If the Mets can not right the ship come August 3, there is a good chance most of these trade candidates will be moved. Ranking Mets Trade Chips We'll rank these players by group, starting with those who are almost certain to be gone if the Mets wind up as sellers. Will Be Traded SP Freddy Peralta Expiring Contract 2026 stats: 85.2 IP, 83 K, 4.83 ERA, 3.85 xERA Peralta was dealt to Queens for SP Brandon Sproat and IF Jett Williams during this past offseason. The results have not been stellar (his latest start, a 10-run blow-up against the Phillies, didn't help) but name value alone should get him moved for a decent prospect package. His 2025 season was the best version of himself to date, logging career highs in wins, innings pitched, and ERA+. Teams will look to get that version of Peralta into their rotation in hopes of a postseason run. Teams like the Cubs, Cardinals, White Sox, Rays and A’s will come calling for the 30-year-old All-Star. RP Brooks Raley Expiring Contract 2026 stats: 30 G, 2.00 ERA, 207 ERA+, 10.3 SO/9 Raley has been reliable and dominant for the Mets out of the bullpen this year. The ninth-year veteran has been largely reliable over his career, especially since arriving in New York prior to the 2023 season; in four years with the Mets, he has a 2.36 ERA with a 177 ERA+. Teams would love to bring in a veteran southpaw who is on a expiring, low-AAV deal to bolster their bullpen. RP Huascar Brazoban Under Contract Through 2029 2026 Stats: 32 G, 1.91 ERA, 216 ERA+, 0.956 WHIP Brazobán’s value could potentially be bigger than people may think. He has been largely reliable in his Mets tenure and is under contract until 2030. There is nothing more that teams love than controllable arms and if the price is right, the Mets could end up with a quality prospect or two in exchange for the 36-year-old right-hander. RP A.J. Minter Expiring Contract 2026 Stats: 9 G, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 0 BB Minter’s season has just begun after recovering from a severe left lat tear that sidelined him for over a year. In eight innings so far, Minter has yet to give up an earned run. Like Raley, Minter’s track record over the years is good for him to be wanted at the deadline by southpaw-needy teams. Could Be Traded RP Luke Weaver Under Contract Through 2027 2026 stats: 30 G, 2.25 ERA, 184 ERA+, 33/8 K/BB Luke Weaver has not given up an earned run since April 30 — the phones will ringing for him. However, with another year on the books for Weaver with the Mets, they could just hold onto him and try to contend again next year. The right-hander has proven with both New York teams that the spotlight does not harm his talent, and you can be sure that David Stearns will take that into account come the deadline. Suitors will line up for Weaver, and it will be fascinating how Stearns handles his market. RP Devin Williams Under Contract Through 2028 2026 Stats: 27 G, 11 SV, 5.18 ERA, 14.1 SO9 Devin Williams has had a shaky season to say the least. He has had some streaks of dominant performances but has been largely unreliable for the Mets. A return to a smaller-market team would work wonders for Williams, but the Mets would have to eat some of his contract to get the return they would want. SP Clay Holmes Expiring Contract, 2027 Player Option 2026 Stats: 9 G, 2.39 ERA, 172 ERA+, 1.101 WHIP Holmes is currently recovering from a fractured right fibula but is scheduled to throw July 1 and could be in line to return to the Mets prior to the deadline. Holmes is under arguably one of the best contracts in baseball and is Stearns' best signing to date with how well he has performed. Should Holmes return to being healthy and dominant prior to the deadline, teams will flock to acquire him. View full article

Jonah TongElian PenaJonathan SantucciJack WenningerRyan CliffordJacob ReimerMitch VoitChris SueroNick MorabitoZach ThorntonWandy AsigenWill WatsonEli Serrano IIIRandy GuzmanRyan LambertDylan RossAntonio JimenezR.J. GordonJonathan PintaroMarco Vargas