New York Mets potential ‘epicenter’ of MLB trade deadline, insider reveals 11 Mets trade candidates

Sportsnaut

The New York Mets were the most active team at the MLB trade deadline a year ago, moving the likes of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Tommy Pham in a small teardown of their roster. A year later, there are more MLB rumors suggesting New York could be even more aggressive sellers.

Heading into the 2023. season, New York was viewed as a viable World Series contender with one of the best rosters in baseball. A few months later, New York was near the bottom of the MLB standings and selling off some of its top players to overhaul its farm system.

After not engaging in talks on a contract extension with All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso this offseason, the veteran’s name has already popped up in MLB trade rumors. However, with New York well out of the playoff race, a significant number of players on the Mets roster could be moved or pushed heavily in trade talks this summer.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Mets could potentially be the “epicenter” of the MLB trade deadline with several of their top players likely to be moved.

Among the Mets trade candidates reportedly are Alonso, designated hitter J.D. Martinez, infielder Jeff McNeil, outfielders Harrison Bader and Starling Marte along with pitchers Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, Adam Ottavino, Reed Garrett and Jake Diekman. That’s over 42 percent of the Mets roster.

However, some of those players will likely have to stay in New York. As Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted, salaries for McNeil ($12 million) and Marte ($20.75 million in ’24, $20.75 million in ’25) mean the Mets would have to pay a significant portion of either salary to move them.

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However, there is still plenty of reason to believe Alonso, Bader, Martinez, Severino, Quintana and multiple relievers will all be traded this summer. While it will certainly damage the Mets’ chances of competing in 2025, the moves will bring in more prospects and supply some much-needed depth for the team’s farm system.