Mets Dominate List Of Trade Candidates As Deadline Nears

There is a little under two weeks before the trade deadline passes on August 3rd, and the New York Mets’ approach is about as clear as it gets. A full 17 games back from the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves for the top spot, the Mets won’t be in contention for a postseason spot come the conclusion of the regular season.

Despite an aggressive offseason that completely shook up the Mets’ roster, they remain out of reach of the postseason for the second year in a row as they currently sit 10 games out of a Wild Card spot as of Tuesday evening.

This means President of Baseball Operations David Stearns will not be adding to his roster at this year’s deadline, but he’ll instead be selling off some pieces – a harsh fact that would have seemed implausible at the start of the season.

ESPN has updated its top 100 trade candidates with the deadline approaching, and several Mets have made the cut. Here is every one of them:

Shortstop Francisco Lindor had accumulated 27.2 bWAR heading into the year since joining New York in 2021, but was forced out of the lineup for a huge chunk of the season’s first half due to injury. Like many Mets players this year, Lindor hasn’t been the player he’s capable of being, but he’s still been an integral part of the squad.

With the Mets’ season being as poor as it has been, even Lindor could be dealt at the deadline. Ranked as the No. 12 trade candidate in baseball, the likelihood of a trade is low, but Lindor could very well end up in a new uniform once the deadline passes.

Right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes has surprisingly been the best starting arm of the season for New York, posting a 2.39 ERA this season. The problem is that he’s only thrown just over 50 innings due to a fractured right fibula. As he ramps up his recovery, however, the upcoming free agent is garnering interest from around the league. Coming in ranked No. 17 on ESPN’s list, Holmes was given a 90% chance of being dealt before the deadline concludes.

Several more pitchers were included on ESPN’s list – RHP Freddy Peralta (No. 28), RHP Luke Weaver (No. 33), LHP A.J. Minter (No. 48), LHP Brooks Raley (No. 54), and RHP Huascar Brazoban (No. 61).

Peralta is the most notable of the bunch after landing in New York via trade just last offseason. Now with free agency on the horizon, New York is scrambling to get some value in return for the righty who has an ERA over 5.00.

Outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (No. 47), catcher Luis Torrens (No. 97), and third baseman Mark Vientos (No. 100) rounded out the list of Mets’ trade candidates on ESPN’s list. Like Peralta, Robert Jr. also arrived via trade during the offseason, but his time in New York hasn't been what the front office was expecting when they made the deal.

After what has been a whirlwind of a season thus far, it could only get crazier for the Mets down the stretch depending on how the trade deadline pans out. With several trade candidates who could be out of town in just a couple of weeks, this year’s trade deadline serves as a cruel reminder of how drastically the 2026 season has fallen apart