The New York Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday, and if you think that was the only big move coming out of Queens, you haven’t been paying attention. The team is bad. Like, genuinely disappointing bad. And according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the front office is already lining up potential trade pieces for the July deadline.
Rosenthal appeared on Foul Territory shortly after the Mendoza news broke and didn’t sugarcoat what’s coming. He said if the Mets don’t start playing better — and soon — they’ll have no choice but to sell off some movable assets before the trade deadline passes.
Who’s on the block?
Rosenthal rattled off a few names that could be packing their bags. Start with pitcher Freddy Peralta, who’s a potential free agent and has been, in Rosenthal’s words, “a huge disappointment.” Then there are left-handed relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter — both also potential free agents. Those are your obvious trade candidates, according to Rosenthal.
“If they don’t play better, even if they play a little bit better, but it’s still not good enough, they’re going to have to make some trades,” Rosenthal said. “The obvious guys are Freddy Peralta, a potential free agent, Brooks Raley, and AJ Minter, two left-handed relievers, both potential free agents.”
So the logic is pretty straightforward. Mendoza is gone. The team isn’t winning. And these are guys on expiring contracts who might bring back something useful in return. Lefty relievers are always in demand at the deadline. Peralta? Less sure, given his down year.
Luke Weaver is trickier
There’s one name Rosenthal brings up that complicates things a bit: Luke Weaver. He’s been a bright spot — a real bright spot — in an otherwise grim season. Through 34 innings, Weaver has posted a 2.12 ERA with 37 strikeouts. That’s the kind of performance that makes teams think twice about trading you.
“If you want to get aggressive with Luke Weaver, who has another year left, you could do that; he’s been great,” Rosenthal said. “But I would think they intend to compete next year, and you’d probably want Luke Weaver on your team next year.”
That’s the tension. Weaver still has a year of control left. The Mets might see him as part of the 2027 rotation, not just a rental to flip for prospects. Rosenthal noted that the team probably does plan to compete next season, which makes dealing a 27-year-old pitcher who’s actually performing a tougher sell.
“It definitely appears to be heading that way, that they are going to be sellers,” Rosenthal added. “They don’t have a whole lot to sell, to be perfectly honest. I just listed the main guys.”
So the Mets are in that weird middle space. They fired the manager, which signals a shake-up, but the roster might not be deep enough to execute a full rebuild or a quick retool. What they do with Weaver will tell you a lot about their actual timeline. Keep him and you’re betting on next year. Trade him and you’re basically starting over.
For now, the Mets are stuck. Mendoza is out. The trade deadline is looming. And most of the guys worth trading aren’t having the kind of seasons that bring back a haul. Rosenthal said it flat: the Mets don’t have a ton of valuable chips. But they’ve got a few. And we’ll find out soon enough which ones they’re willing to cash in.
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