5 expendable Mets players the team can move before the trade deadline

5) Jose Quintana

Will anyone give the Mets something for Jose Quintana? The team was unable to trade Carlos Carrasco last year. Quintana is performing better than he was. His numbers are worse than another former Mets pitcher who fell into the doghouse and was traded in a summer of buying.

Back in 2019, the Mets acquired Marcus Stroman in preparation for losing Zack Wheeler in free agency. They did more to change their rotation. Jason Vargas was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in what was essentially a salary dump move.

Quintana hasn’t been completely unwatchable this year. Often limited to short outings and surprisingly prone to home run balls this season, his value will shrink one start and then grow the next.

Recent Mets rumors have said the team would be willing to trade a starting pitcher, but with the added note that it would be to replace him with someone they already have. Quintana seems like the easiest to put on the chopping block. Some might argue it’s Sean Manaea or even Luis Severino whose value should be the highest. If the Mets want to be taken seriously as contenders, only Quintana makes sense to sell.

Quintana is very much for sale. The sad reality is that whenever he performs well for the Mets we can’t imagine him doing it in the postseason in orange and blue. He’s an inherited player and not one they can effectively hide in the bullpen or minor leagues.