The New York Mets have to turn things around fairly quickly or else become sellers in the trade market. New York entered the 2026 season with expectations to qualify for the postseason. In fact, the Major League Baseball writers at ESPN named the Queens club as favorites to win the National League East. According to Kiley McDaniel, the Mets had an advantage in the division due to their young depth.
Nevertheless, the Mets have gotten off to an incredibly poor start to the current campaign. Mostly due to a host of injuries and subpar hitting, New York finds itself at the bottom of the N.L. East. Despite winning three of their last four games, the club is currently tied for the worst record in baseball. As a result, they would need to go on a serious run to become contenders before the trade deadline.
Assuming they continue to falter, the Mets would have several players who would potentially hit the open market. However, ace starting pitcher Freddy Peralta is the pick of the bunch. Despite having only just acquired the star in January, Peralta is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. The two sides have been in extension talks, but nothing has yet materialized.
According to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levin, the Mets want to turn things around by June 1 or potentially start thinking about offloading players, particularly Peralta. Levin, who is based in the windy city, also claimed that the Chicago Cubs have already talked to New York about the star pitcher. As of today, the Mets have 22 games on the schedule before this date.
New York Mets Could Offload Several Players This Summer
GettyFreddy Peralta has been a rare bright spot for the New York Mets in 2026.
The Cubs will certainly not be the only team to register interest in Peralta. Nevertheless, as Levin points out, the pitcher does have a history with Chicago manager Craig Counsell. The two were previously with the Milwaukee Brewers for six seasons before eventually going in different directions. Peralta became an All-Star under Counsell’s leadership.
Peralta, however, will not be the only tradable New York Mets player if they cannot right the ship. The Athletic’s Tim Britton recently named several players who could also join the ace on the chopping block. According to Britton, fellow soon-to-be free agents such as Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter, and David Peterson could be for sale as well.
Clay Holmes will also likely opt out of his relatively modest 2027 player option. The veteran starter has been outstanding in 2026 and is headed towards a substantial pay raise. New York could look to offload underwhelming veterans such as Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga as well.
New York Traded Away Three Top Prospects in Offseason
If the New York Mets do become sellers this season, it would be tremendously embarrassing for the president of baseball operations, David Stearns. The exec overhauled the team’s roster in the offseason by spending nearly $250 million on free agents and making trades for Peralta, Marcus Semien, and Luis Robert Jr.
Stearns and New York gave away their two best prospects in the deal involving Peralta alone. Pulling off that move while possibly only having the pitcher as a short-term rental would be disastrous. The Mets would unlikely receive a similar package in return if they were forced to move Peralta now.
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