5 Mets players whose trade value is increasing

It will be a tough call to see whether the New York Mets will buy or sell at the trade deadline this season, as the team is part of a logjam in the playoff contention ladder in the National League. This situation is possible because of several players performing at higher levels over the past couple of weeks and have seen their potential trade values increased.

The Mets' recent turnaround has come across all areas of the roster, and they have expendable trade chips where they can add more depth to a farm system that is improving should they decide to sell at the trade deadline.

1) Starling Marte

Starling Marte's performance this season, especially offensively, has been a pleasant surprise. After seeing his OPS be the lowest of his career with signals of decline, he has bounced back in a big way, and it has picked up along with the Mets' recent winning ways. In his last 13 games, he has a line of .436/.500/.641 in 44 plate appearances, and has seen his season batting average climb to .286.

Marte would be an exceptional addition for a team that needs a right-handed, aggressive-thinking hitter that can hit the ball to all fields and if a team needs speed, as he has 12 stolen bases this year without getting caught. The only downside for Marte at the moment is his fielding, where his outs above average of -8 ranks among the worst in baseball, but he makes up for it by having a strong arm in the outfield.

2024 was a season where we didn't know what to expect from Starling Marte. Last year was an injury-plagued one for Marte with the migraine and groin issues. This year he had a little bump with a knee flareup, but has been fine nonetheless. But Marte's trade value will keep rising as he keeps hitting and stays healthy.

2) Luis Severino

For all that Luis Severino has gone through over the past 12 months, he has turned into an important asset for the Mets this season. He leads the team with 78.1 innings pitched, and has consistently given the Mets length, pitching at least five innings and 88 pitches or more in every start this season. For teams that need starting pitching help, he will help shorten a manager's game when it comes to managing his bullpen and gives his team a chance to win the games he starts.

Severino has also turned in quality this season, and especially recently. In 13 starts this season, he is 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA and a 122 ERA+. In three of his last four starts, he has given up just one run while pitching at least six innings. His 18.6 percent strikeout rate is not as high as it was earlier in his career, but a change in scenery has helped his career to get back on the right track.

Now, he is ready to contribute for playoff contenders that need starting pitching, such as the Orioles or the Reds, as his trade value keeps increasing for each quality outing he turns in with the Mets.

4) Drew Smith

When the Mets bullpen was effective in April, Drew Smith was one of the reasons why it was so good. Prior to experiencing shoulder soreness on April 23, he had given up just one earned run in nine innings. Thanks to a more effective and refined cutter that has a Fangraphs Stuff+ rating of 152 (which ranks third in the majors), he has been able to mix up his repertoire to go after hitters more aggressively and induce soft contact. He has a 2.70 ERA so far this season and has gotten his team out of big-time jams.

Drew Smith missed six weeks earlier in the season due to shoulder soreness, but he returned two weeks ago and looked sharp overall in his four outings since. He struck out six of the ten batters he has faced while giving up just one run.

The Mets acquired Smith in the trade that sent Lucas Duda to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 and it paid dividends like nobody thought it would, and it still is the case today. He has a career 3.47 ERA in 115 ERA+ in 192 innings. With many teams likely needing some relief help, Smith would be a nice addition for such a team, especially if they let him loose on a lethal fastball and cutter combination. And if the Mets can flip Smith for a good prospect, should they choose to trade him, it would be a win for David Stearns.

5) Adrian Houser

Let's face it. I never thought we would stress the positives on Adrian Houser after how he looked as a starting pitcher this year. But the Mets moved him to the bullpen to serve as a long reliever and his results have been awfully impressive.

As a starter, in seven starts, he was 0-4 with an 8.55 ERA and failed to get an out in the sixth inning in any of those starts. The calls for him to be cut by the fans were loud and plentiful.

But as a reliever, he has a 1.20 ERA in six appearances, pitching at least two innings in all of them. Opponents have hit .189 with just one extra base hit in 61 batters faced. He has kept his team in the game in all but one of those times and appears to be pitching with more confidence since the move to the bullpen. He turned in at least two scoreless innings in each of his last three relief outings.

With teams needing innings to eat in the middle of games, teams might look to Houser and take a chance on him for their bullpen. The Mets might just get something of value back after all, in a season where it it looked so bleak.