The New York Mets are staring down a trade deadline that could reshape the entire organization. And according to one longtime MLB insider, almost no one is safe.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden published a breakdown of six teams that should be sellers ahead of the August 3 deadline, and the Mets landed right at the top of that list. Bowden’s take is blunt: the Mets have more work to do than any other team in baseball, and that means nearly the entire roster should be available for the right price.
Five names are basically untouchable, everyone else is on the table
Bowden identified exactly five players he believes the Mets should not trade. Those are starters Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, plus outfielders Juan Soto, A.J. Ewing, and Carson Benge. Everyone else? Fair game.
“They have to listen on everyone else,” Bowden wrote. “Yes, I said everyone else, including Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Freddy Peralta, Sean Manaea, Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor, and their entire bullpen.”
That list includes Lindor, the star shortstop who is still considered a top-tier talent in the league. Bowden said the team should at least listen to offers for him, even if a deal seems unlikely. The same goes for Bichette, who signed a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mets this past offseason.
Are Lindor or Bichette actually getting dealt? Probably not, but the phone lines are open
Bowden acknowledged that both Lindor and Bichette are “long shots to be traded.” It would take a massive offer for the Mets to move either one. But the fact that they’re even being mentioned in the same sentence as trade talks shows how much this team needs to retool.
Bichette is in his first season with New York, so moving him would be a serious admission that the experiment isn’t working. Lindor is still one of the faces of the franchise. But in Bowden’s view, the Mets should at least pick up the phone.
As for what the Mets might actually move, Bowden thinks the bullpen could be their strongest asset. Relievers like Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán, and A.J. Minter could draw interest from contending teams looking for bullpen help. “Unless Peralta starts pitching better, he might not bring back the return they were hoping for,” Bowden added.
It’s unclear exactly how aggressive the Mets will get. But with a roster full of big contracts and disappointing results, something has to give. The front office has a few weeks to figure out which direction they’re going.
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