What the Mets record will need to be to become trade deadline sellers

After yet another ugly series loss in Houston, the New York Mets have a record of 34-40, good for fourth in the NL East. While the division isn't close to being decided, it's fair to assume the Mets won't challenge anybody as they're 13.5 games back in the division. The only thing keeping this team somewhat afloat is the Wild Card, as they sit a somewhat manageable seven games back of the third Wild Card spot in the National League.

Following a 101-win season in 2022, this season has been an absolute nightmare. Virtually every player with only a couple of exceptions has regressed, and the Mets have the fourth-worst record in the National League.

The Mets are a team that entered this season with World Series aspirations, and the way things are going, they could be looking at being sellers by the time the trade deadline comes around.

The NY Mets will have to be at least ten games under .500 to become trade deadline sellers

First of all, there isn't much to sell. This Mets team is an expensive piece of mediocrity. Some players like David Robertson, Mark Canha, Tommy Pham, and Eduardo Escobar could net them something, but nothing too crazy.

As much as fans want to see the team trade away Francisco Lindor or find a team to take on the contracts belonging to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, that's obviously very hard to foresee happening. The Lindor trades especially are just fans living in a fantasy world.

If the Mets are six games under .500 and seven games back of the third Wild Card spot like they are right now, I think they're going to stand pat. They might not buy, but Steve Cohen has invested too much in this team for them to sell. I don't think it'd be wise, but seven games is probably reasonable enough to make one final push for a couple of months even with how unlikely it is that the Mets squeak into the postseason.

The Mets being ten or more games under .500 by the time August rolls around would signal this team is all but done. There're too many teams to jump, and that's too big of a defecit to make up for a team that's shown you no reason to think they'll turn it around to that level.

The Mets are in a tough spot. Even if they decide they want to sell, there isn't much to realistically sell. If they want to buy, that's just adding more money onto what already is a record-shattering payroll with the Mets already fighting an uphill battle at a postseason spot.

It's an uncomfortable situation for everyone to be in. We should just hope this team goes on a run starting in Philadelphia so no tough decision has to be made.