The New York Mets are sure to be sellers at this year’s MLB trade deadline, but who will be on the move is to be determined.
Per The Athletic’s Will Sammon, Bo Bichette has a “slim” chance of being traded because of his contract. Catcher Luis Torrens likewise could stick around past the deadline after New York gave him an extension early this season.
Sammon added, however, that Torrens’ extension “made him all the more attractive to other clubs.”
Sammon also reported that “it wouldn’t be surprising” for Francisco Alvarez to “fetch major-league-ready pitching or hitting help from a different position in a trade.”
Pitcher Luke Weaver is also expected to be pursued aggressively, according to Sammon.
Bichette signed a three-year deal worth $126 million in January, a pact that includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. The former Toronto Blue Jay hasn’t exactly lived up to the lofty deal so far, recording 10 home runs and 50 RBI while slashing .258/.304./.385.
While Torrens hasn’t exactly stuffed that stat sheet at the plate, he’s been tremendous behind it. He ranks in the 94th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average,” the 95th percentile in framing and the 89th percentile in pop time, per Baseball Savant.
While the Mets could trade Torrens for prospects as they look to build toward the future, that kind of defense is hard to part ways with, even for a struggling team. Clearly, New York thinks highly of him after giving him a two-year, $11.5 million deal in May.
Torrens is perhaps passing Alvarez from a defensive standpoint, but Alvarez still possesses the power that some clubs might be looking for at the deadline, recording a .734 OPS with nine home runs this year.
Alvarez, 24, also won’t hit free agency until 2030.
Weaver has performed well in his first season with the Mets, recording a 1.95 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP across 35 appearances. He’s in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal, which could be attractive to other teams.
But whether New York wants to keep him around in hopes of a quick turnaround in 2027 remains to be seen.
The Mets’ focus right now is likely on next season, since they’re essentially out of contention at 37-53. Still, New York has a talented roster that isn’t far from being competitive, so it likely won’t spend the deadline pivoting toward a complete rebuild.
