NY Mets Monday Morning GM: 3 players with complicated trade deadline implications

The more New York Mets losses that compile, the less complicated it gets this summer for David Stearns to hit the accelerator or the eject button. The Mets have played like a team that’ll be trade deadline sellers for much of the year. No amount of random series wins can help them escape the reality that they are peers with teams like the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals.

Some players have easy trade cases. Tyrone Taylor is on an expiring contract and sure to fill someone’s roster. The same applies for Brooks Raley and other impending free agents who have no business being on a tanking club after the August 3rd trade deadline.

Then there are a few more players whose situation, even if the Mets are subtracting, can be a little more complicated.

It’s a complicated situation for these three Mets who could be traded at the deadline

1) Bo Bichette - The opt-out

The player option in Bo Bichette’s contract makes his trade candidacy extremely complicated. For the Mets, they probably always suspected he’d be good enough this year and end up back in free agency. Because the season hasn’t gone well for him whatsoever, Bichette seems more like someone who’ll opt in and eat up a large part of the payroll again in 2027.

Any team who might even think about acquiring Bichette will be trading for a big unknown because of this contract. Does he finish the season strong and actually end up as a free agent? It could be a case where creativity is needed such as the Mets picking up a part of his 2027 and/or 2028 salaries or including a player to be named later of greater value based on whether or not Bichette sticks with his new team or not.

To put it simply, Bichette’s bad start with the Mets and total control in his future contract for two more offseasons makes the situation complicated.

2) Freddy Peralta - The qualifying offer reward

If the Mets sell, Freddy Peralta will be a hot trade candidate. Dealing him away is practical for the Mets except maybe they would prefer to gain the benefits of a player who rejects or even accepts a qualifying offer. A one-year salary in the $22-23 million range would be desirable for the Mets. Moreover, they’d gladly take the additional draft pick if he was to leave somewhere in free agency.

Starting pitchers didn’t move in abundance at last year’s trade deadline. The high demand yet low supply made it a strange spot where very few contenders actually were able to add to their rotation. The pick the Mets would receive is probably somewhere between rounds four and five based on what the 2026 MLB Draft will award several teams in a similar spot. This simply means the Mets should, at minimum, get something decent back for Peralta.

3) Clay Holmes - The injury

Clay Holmes should be back in August if all goes well. It’ll be after the August 3rd trade deadline. This means anyone who trades for Holmes won’t get him immediately. They’d be buying a player coming off of a lengthy injury.

It probably hurts Holmes’ value, but doesn’t completely tank it because of how well Holmes pitched to start the year. In fact, the layoff can have a GM spinning the idea in his own head about how it means he’ll be more durable at the end of the year.

An added complication for Holmes is similar to Peralta. He can also receive a qualifying offer and might even be a more realistic candidate because of the injury to accept it. There’s no chance Holmes takes the $12 million player option for 2027. He can almost double it just by taking a qualifying offer which would be a wise handout to extend to him. The Mets have blown plenty of money already on worse players.

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