NY Mets prospect sipping MLB coffee in 2026 named as a theoretical trade candidate

When it comes to inclusion, MLB.com spared no team. They assembled a list of one prospect from every team who could get traded. The New York Mets, in the business of selling major leaguers and not prospects, still got the invitation.

The selection for New York wasn’t so crazy. They chose Jonathan Pintaro. The thinking is he could be included in a larger package. They didn't get specific, but imagine something similar to how Tobias Myers was included in the trade for Freddy Peralta.

At 28-years-old with his next birthday in November, Pintaro is different from your average prospect. Sipping MLB coffee this season with 6 games and 14.1 innings of work, Pintaro has been working as a mop-up man. All 6 games he has pitched were Mets losses. Is that all he’s capable of?

Should the Mets bail on Jonathan Pintaro now or buy into the reason why they signed him in the first place?

Pintaro was an undrafted free agent signing by the Mets in June of 2024. Already well into his 20s, it wasn’t such an obvious addition based on the numbers he posted in the Independent Leagues. With a 4.40 ERA in 3 starts in the Pioneer League in 2024, he was regularly ravaged by hitters in Indy Ball. Just a 6.60 ERA overall in over 10 innings of work, he has been surprisingly much better since joining the Mets organization.

No burgeoning talent, his Triple-A numbers have him as a 4.41 ERA pitcher in 81.2 innings over the last two seasons. No longer a starter like he previously was, the decision to demote him into a multi-inning reliever seems like the more realistic outcome to get the most out of him. With that said, is he actually someone the Mets could trade by 6pm on Monday?

The Mets stubbornly kept Alex Carrillo on their 40-man roster until a few weeks ago despite imploding in the majors and not pitching effectively in the minors. They had a somewhat similar approach with Tyler Zuber, a 2024 trade deadline addition. He lingered for far too long before he was finally cut. Pintaro, a ranked Mets prospect, has been better.

His current 4.40 ERA isn’t marvelous and yet the 0.83 WHIP suggests there may be something there. His numbers are difficult to comprehend in such a small sample with 3 of the 7 hits he has allowed going over the outfield wall.

Pintaro’s inclusion on this list seems to be merely a case of needing someone to fill the seat. The Mets aren’t trading any of their other truly important prospects. Pintaro, in his current role, could be of more use to a contender. After this year, he’ll have one more minor league option remaining. Controllable for several more years but with limited upside, this certainly feels like a case of a guy who could benefit from lots of big league battles in the final two months. A pair of shutout innings on Saturday against the Miami Marlins might raise his stock profile. What it also does is end a streak of three straight appearances where he did allow a run.

Many Stearns moves have been frustrating. This one deserves a little more time.

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