A troubling proposition if the NY Mets season goes completely down the drain

Declaring that the sky is falling in April always feels premature, and to a degree it is. However, after losing 12-straight, the New York Mets not only need to snap the skid, but they must also prove that they can string together some W's before the season truly gets away from them. Time is on their side, but that doesn't mean that they haven't reached mission-critical.

But what happens if they don't turn it around? At a certain point, coming to grips with the fact that this is a flawed team means action must be taken. And right now, the Mets have a ton of flaws.

Through April 21, the lineup is dead last in runs scored, wRC+, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. The unit ranks 27th in homers and 24th in batting average. The pitching has been better, but not by much. Mets' starters are 19th in ERA, though reliable predictive indicators like xFIP and SIERA paint rosier pictures, with the group placing fifth and sixth in those metrics, respectively.

The bullpen has been the best unit, as it places 13th in ERA and SIERA, while coming in seventh in xFIP. At the same time, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are proving why the Yankees were so willing to let them go.

If things continue down this path for much longer, it will be clear that a few veteran additions at the trade deadline won't be enough to get the club back in gear. Unfortunately, the other side of that coin is much more terrifying.

The trade deadline could prove that the Mets are doomed beyond 2026

If things continue to go awry, one would expect the Mets to try to sell off veteran assets at the trade deadline. That might not mean a full-scale teardown, but rather jettisoning pieces that clearly don't fit in order to clear the slate for a more successful 2026-2027 offseason.

The problem is that one needs pieces that others want to buy. Starting with New York's offseason acquisitions, it's hard to see how that happens.

If the Houston Astros couldn't move two years and $40 million of Christian Walker's salary over the offseason, how can anyone expect to take the remainder of the $40 million Jorge Polanco is owed through 2027, when he's hit just .179/.246/.286 before his wrist injury, and has proven that he can no longer play a defensive position? The Mets are rightly kicking themselves for not pursuing Ryan O'Hearn, as Polanco has become radioactive.

Ditto for Bo Bichette. No one is going to bet $42 million that he rebounds in 2027 just to have him walk out the door, when the only other possibility is that he struggles again and they get stuck paying him $84 million for 2027 and 2028.

Marcus Semien is only movable if the return coming back is another bad contract, which was the only reason he ended up in Queens in the first place.

As for Devin Williams, his sizzling market would now be ice cold given the amount of money he's owed while he's proving that the Yankees weren't the problem; he is.

The only offseason acquisition that would drum up any real interest if the trade deadline were today would be Freddy Peralta, in large part due to his expiring contract. However, even in this case, David Stearns would be receiving pennies on the dollar given what he paid to acquire the would-be ace.

And of course, you can forget about dealing foundational pieces like Francisco Lindor or even Juan Soto. Few could afford those contracts to begin with, and in the case of Lindor, no one will want to risk paying that kind of money through 2031 for a guy who isn't hitting.

The Mets are staring down the barrel of a terrifying gun. If they don't turn it around, they won't be able to facilitate a reset by escaping their mistakes at the trade deadline. That means next year will be mostly about running it back. They'll be stuck with these high-paid, underperforming assets. And although Steve Cohen has deep pockets, he didn't get to be as rich as he is by throwing good money after bad.

With over $381 million committed this season, there's no way he approves spending beyond that if the team isn't winning. The catch-22 is that if the organization can't rid itself of these overpaid albatrosses, it will be virtually impossible for this group to somehow be more effective in 2027.

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