How the Mets Should Approach the 2025 Trade Deadline

Less than a week away from the MLB trade deadline, teams are jockeying to acquire the few true stars that are available in this year’s market. One of these teams is the New York Mets, who, despite a 59-44 record and a momentary lead in the National League East, do not have a clear-cut means of approaching the deadline.

Oftentimes, teams leading their division have few holes to fill, opting for smaller moves to plug bench and bullpen roles. Time and time again, we see fringe playoff teams (like the 2015 Mets) make the big splash, looking for the major piece that thrusts them into a playoff spot.

The team that President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is overseeing is somewhere in between.

Realistically, the Mets could use upgrades in all three areas of the roster: their lineup, rotation, and bullpen.

While the Mets have put up the sixth-highest team wRC+ in baseball this season (109), much of that statistic is carried by their top four hitters, Brandon Nimmo (126), Francisco Lindor (111), Juan Soto (149), and Pete Alonso (149). Jeff McNeil (127) and Starling Marte (119) have also chipped in valuable at-bats, but for either health-related reasons or matchups, neither one is necessarily an everyday player. 

The Mets’ six and seven hitters this season have posted the third and second-worst wRC+ totals in the sport this season, respectively. It is no secret that New York wins with its stars, especially on offense.

On the pitching side, injuries to Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning, Tylor Megill, and Paul Blackburn have put the starting rotation in a constant state of flux. David Peterson and Clay Holmes are the only two Mets who have taken the ball every fifth (or sixth) day this season. Manager Carlos Mendoza has fewer innings from his starters than just seven managers in the game.

The lack of sheer innings filled by starters has placed extreme strain on the bullpen, which has seen injuries and cracks at various points this year. Three members of the opening day bullpen, A.J. Minter, Max Kranick, and Danny Young, are all done for the season.

Even with a recent four-game winning streak, the Mets still have holes to fill. The question is where and how they will fill those holes. Here is the case for each, and some potential options for Stearns to explore.

Stats and rankings taken prior to play on July 24.

Center Field: Upgrading Offense Without Losing Defense

The Mets’ abundance of young infield talent has allowed them to shift Jeff McNeil to center field, putting a band-aid over a serious concern which is the offense at the position. While McNeil has done fine in his new position, ideally, Stearns and Mendoza would want a true center fielder going down the stretch and into the postseason.

Tyrone Taylor, who has logged by far the most games at the position this season, has been essentially non-existent in the batter’s box, posting a 63 wRC+. As a unit, Mets center fielders have had the sixth-worst wRC+ in the game (73), adding to an already top-heavy starting nine.  

My three picks for the Mets are all on the cheaper side. Stearns’ recent media availability seemed to indicate that the team would not be in the market for a big-name star like Jarren Duran. 

The acquisition of a true center fielder would allow the Mets to shift McNeil back to his native second base, leaving an open battle for the hot corner.

Potential Targets

Luis Robert Jr. – Chicago White Sox

Robert Jr. is the prototypical “buy-low” candidate for the Mets, who have made it clear they do not plan to expend a ton to upgrade offensively. Robert Jr. has been disappointing for the second consecutive season after a 38-homer campaign in 2023, slashing .206/.293/.343 in 2025. His .636 OPS is a career low, and his once prodigious power has produced just 10 home runs. 

On a more positive note, Robert Jr. has hit .351 with a .982 OPS in 11 games since coming off the injured list on July 8. He is also 26-for-32 on stolen bases this season and ranks in the 84th percentile in baseball in outs above average. 

Another reason why Robert fits the Mets is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. While he has struggled mightily against side-handed pitchers (.529 OPS vs. RHP), Robert is hitting .294/.422/.544, half of his 10 home runs coming against southpaws, and a 165 wRC+.

At worst, Robert Jr. is somebody who will play a strong center field and provide speed, while giving you a lefty masher even if he never figures it out to be the everyday guy.

Whichever team lands Robert Jr. will control him for two seasons after this one, but those $20 million club options are no longer very attractive when you consider his last 18 months of baseball. Instead, the $2 million buyout on the $20 million option could actually bring Robert’s price down compared to the typical rental.

New York has been tied to Robert Jr., with MLB Insider Bob Nightengale saying Thursday that, “the Phillies like Robert, but not as much as the Mets do.”

Harrison Bader – Minnesota Twins

A year after signing him as a free agent, could the Mets be interested in a reunion with the Hudson Valley native?

Bader’s glove is among the best in baseball, and the only reason he is playing so much left field this year is because he is flanked by Byron Buxton up the middle. By trade, Bader is a top-five defensive center fielder in the game.  

He is also enjoying arguably his best offensive season in Minnesota, posting a 109 OPS+ and 12 home runs, just four shy of a career high. With Bader, you keep the defensive excellence that Taylor provides, but nearly double the offensive output. 

A 31-year-old rental, Bader will be one of the cheaper offensive options on the market, and since the Twins possess other assets (we’ll get to that later), can be packaged in a deal to Queens.

Cedric Mullins – Baltimore Orioles

Mullins, like Bader, is another true rental as he is set to hit free agency after the season. The Orioles will be selling, and Mullins is one of their best candidates to be shipped off. 

He is mired in a difficult season with both the bat and glove, posting just a 95 OPS+ while his OAA has dropped every season since 2022. He provides suitors with a lefty bat, which neither of the two names above does, but otherwise does not offer much more than Bader. 

Ultimately, I think Mullins is the worst fit of the three for the Mets, but it will all come down to the various asking prices.

The Bullpen: Helping Bridge the Gap to Edwin Díaz

Injuries and overuse have decimated the Mets’ bullpen, which has not found anyone who can consistently throw up zeros outside of closer Edwin Díaz. 

The recent activation of Brooks Raley has paid off so far in three appearances, as he is yet to allow a run, but they still need more. Reed Garrett and Huascar Brazoban have been solid all year, but they are the two most heavily used options for Mendoza.

Stearns has made it clear that the bullpen is his top priority at the deadline. Additionally, all signs indicate the Mets will be in the market for multiple arms, with potentially one being left-handed to help Raley.

Relievers are always a hot commodity at the deadline, and no team is fully content with their relief corps. The names below are the generic ones that numerous teams are in the market for, but the Mets will absolutely be one of those teams.

Potential Targets

Jhoan Durán – Minnesota Twins

Durán would be a slam-dunk pick for Stearns to set up Diaz at the back of games. Additionally, with an opt-out looming in Diaz’s contract, Durán’s acquisition would at least give New York a safety net in the closer’s role for next season.

The price for Durán’s services will not be cheap, especially if packaged with Bader, but he is the best available in this market. This season, Durán has thrown 46 ⅓ innings and pitched to a 1.94 ERA. He is extremely difficult to square up, allowing just one home run all year.

Griffin Jax – Minnesota Twins

Duran’s set-up man in Minnesota would be a good pickup in his own right, despite what baseline metrics may tell you. Jax owns an ERA over 4.00 this season, but has struck out nearly 14 batters per nine innings. 

Outside of Diaz, the Mets do not have a reliever who strikes out more than 10 per nine innings. Jax would give them some desperately needed swing-and-miss stuff. Again, Jax can be packaged with Bader and figures to cost far less than Duran.

David Bednar – Pittsburgh Pirates

Bednar has turned his career around this year after a miserable 2024 season. That misery extended into this season, as he was demoted to Triple-A after a difficult stretch in April. 

Since May 24, Bednar has not been scored upon in 20 ⅓ innings, locking down 11 saves in that window. Like Duran, he gives New York assurance in the closer’s role beyond this season. His price tag would likely be higher than that of Jax, but not nearly as steep as Duran’s.

Danny Coulombe – Minnesota Twins

The Twins clearly have something working in their bullpen, and most of them should be available at the deadline. Coulombe would give the Mets another lefty option alongside Raley and has a 0.93 ERA in 2025. 

Brock Stewart – Minnesota Twins

The Mets have been linked to Stewart, who has quietly had a strong year for the Twins. He has pitched to a 2.51 ERA in 37 games. He ranks in the 91st and 92nd percentiles in barrel percentage and hard-hit rate, respectively. 

With Bader, Duran, Jax, Coulombe, and Stewart all available, Minnesota general manager Jeremy Zoll figures to be a popular contact in Stearns’ phone in the next week.

Gregory Soto – Baltimore Orioles

Soto is one where you need to look past the ERA. As a lefty, he would give the Mets a hard-throwing southpaw to contrast Raley, but he struggles with the free pass. He has struck out 42 batters in 35 ⅓ innings, but also walked 18. 

If the Mets don’t come away with anything substantial in the reliever market, that will certainly be a disappointment for a team in need of fresh arms. New York has gotten the fifth-most innings from relievers in MLB.

The Rotation: Do They Have Enough?

Stearns has indicated that he is not invested in the market for starting pitchers. With Manaea, Senga, Peterson, Holmes, and Montas all healthy at the moment, the Mets’ starting five is settled for now.

Additionally, top prospects Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean are both big league ready, or not far off, in case of emergency. Frankly, the Mets are once again finding an overabundance of starting options. Nonetheless, Stearns will explore all options, especially if an ace becomes available.

Three ace-type arms that could be moved are Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, and Sandy Alcantara; however, all three have struggled this season.

Cease has especially been linked to the Mets in recent days. Jon Heyman of the New York Post listed the Mets as one of six potential landing spots for the free-agent-to-be. He owns a 4.59 ERA this season, but has struck out 144 batters in 113 ⅔ innings in San Diego. Cease has finished in the top five in Cy Young balloting twice in his career, which should raise his cost, but his rental status and subpar performance this year could change that.

Gallen and Alcantara have not been linked to New York as much. Gallen has a 5.58 ERA this year and will hit the open market at the end of this season, while Alcantara’s ERA sits at 6.66. Alcantara has team control through the end of the 2027 season.

A few of the other top rentals that could interest the Mets are Merrill Kelly and Seth Lugo. While they don’t carry the same name level as the Cease’s and Gallen’s on the market, Kelly and Lugo have been more effective pitchers this season.

Kelly has pitched like the D-Backs ace this year, with a 3.32 ERA across his first 21 starts. Lugo has a 2.95 ERA across his first 19 starts and has become one of the most consistent inning-eaters in the game.

Stearns has made every indication that he will not make a move for a starting pitcher, unless they are a clear-cut top-line arm that would automatically end up in a playoff rotation. The next tier of pitchers, such as Mitch Keller, seems less and less likely as fits for the Mets.

Takeaways: What Should They Do?

Despite their record and standing atop the division, the Mets need to upgrade, especially to match up with the NL goliaths in Los Angeles and Chicago in a potential playoff series.

It seems more likely than anything that they will stick to focusing on center field and the bullpen, unless Cease, Alcantara, or Gallen falls into their lap. Ideally, they will land either Bader or Robert Jr., while picking up a pair of relievers.

After going to the NLCS last season, expectations are high for the Mets, and this trading deadline is an opportunity to flesh out an already formidable roster. 

The major moves were made in the offseason by bringing in Soto and re-signing Alonso and Manaea. Now, it is time for Stearns to fill in the missing pieces.