With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the New York Mets possess assets that are earning admiration from rival evaluators: a deep and improved farm system rich with sought-after pitchers and up-the-middle position players. The primary question across the industry is how much of that prospect capital the Mets are willing to leverage to address their major-league needs.
According to league sources, the Mets are also prepared to trade from their surplus of young major-league infielders. With Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso entrenched at shortstop and first base, the team has Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña competing for limited time at second and third base. The organization is open to trading from this group to improve the roster elsewhere.
The team’s main priority is supplementing its bullpen with multiple relievers, preferably via trades. The need is acute, as a lack of length from the starting rotation has consistently overworked the relief corps. A Mets starter has completed at least six innings just five times in the last 35 games, with David Peterson accounting for all five of those outings.
If a suitable trade for a reliever does not materialize, the Mets are open to using top starting prospects—such as Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Blade Tidwell—in shorter bullpen roles, according to people briefed on their plans. While not a committed strategy, it remains a possibility. President of baseball operations David Stearns has employed this tactic before, successfully transitioning future aces Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta into big-league relievers during playoff pushes with the Milwaukee Brewers.
The trade market for relievers is expected to have options, though the top-tier quality is uncertain. Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar, under team control through 2026, is available for a high price. It remains to be seen if other controllable closers like Emmanuel Clase, Mason Miller, Jhoan Duran, or Félix Bautista will join him on the block. Acquiring such an impactful arm would require a premium prospect package, a price contending teams must weigh carefully.
Historically, Stearns has not acquired top-of-the-market relievers at the deadline, partly because his Brewers teams often had strong bullpens and operated under tighter budgets. Last year, his first with the Mets, he focused on undervalued arms or players with upside and team control. However, the current Mets roster has a more pressing need, featuring only one truly elite back-end reliever in Edwin Díaz, which may necessitate a more aggressive approach.
Additions to the starting rotation appear unlikely. The team feels its internal options, including Sproat and McLean, provide sufficient depth, making a trade for a back-of-the-rotation starter improbable. Furthermore, with Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Frankie Montas all performing adequately, acquiring a mid-rotation starter would be difficult to justify.
Any trade for a starter would likely have to be for a clear, ace-level pitcher capable of starting a playoff game—a caliber of player who may not be available. The rotation’s success hinges on the health and stamina of Senga and Manaea, who both recently returned from the injured list and are still building up their workloads.
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