5 Mets players not named Pete Alonso who should suddenly be on the trade block this offseason

The New York Mets sold more than expected at this year’s trade deadline. It’s still sinking in. And with Max Scherzer spilling the beans on next year’s plans to lower expectations, the whole direction this offseason could be much different than what we envisioned.

Suddenly, with the Mets aiming to compete in 2025 or 2026 rather than fully reload for next year, these five players need to be on the trade block even more so than they may have already been.

Not included: Pete Alonso. Stop it already. Offer him a contract extension first. Wait until the trade deadline if he's not putting ink to paper and then flip him if you're out of it.

1) NY Mets trade block needs to have Jose Quintana on it

The Mets aren’t opposed to trading a pitcher early on in his tenure. We got how many starts out of Justin Verlander before the plug was pulled? We could get even fewer from Jose Quintana whose first half of the year was wiped out due to a spring injury. He has pitched well for the Mets since debuting from the IL and the reasons to keep him around are dwindling.

It’s conceivable for the Mets to go into next season with Quintana in the rotation. The troubling aspect of this is that he looks much better as a number four or five starter than a top three guy. If the Mets are indeed prepared to lower the bar for the 2024 season, trading Quintana in the offseason should be on the table.

Almost as reasonable is to keep Quintana and wait to flip him at the trade deadline. This comes with its own risks. There are fewer suitors and in a free agency pool without a whole lot of top-tier guys at any position, contenders might be willing to pay the price for a full year of Quintana rather than just rent him for a few weeks.

The Mets run the risk of another Quintana injury disintegrating his trade value. What’s to say he even pitches well next year either? While the commodity is hot, the Mets should move Quintana.

Prediction: The Mets keep Quintana but unload him at the trade deadline when they meet their goal of not being competitive. He’s not that great for the Mets in 2024 and the return is only promising because Steve Cohen eats the remainder of the contract.

3) NY Mets trade block needs to have Jeff McNeil on it

Jeff McNeil’s 2022 batting title season is sandwiched between two similar down seasons. The Mets shouldn’t sell him low. It doesn’t hurt to shop him around especially with the presence of Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuna in the system and possibly almost ready for the big leagues.

The benefits of keeping McNeil around are plentiful. His ability to play multiple positions and do so well makes him an asset. The problem with the Mets is McNeil is yet another light-hitting player who they can excuse as a second baseman but as a corner outfielder feels a little too extreme.

Power isn’t needed at every position. To have McNeil whose own abilities to hit for a high average can be called into question as your starting left fielder feels like the team hasn’t done enough. Brandon Nimmo hasn’t exactly had the greatest of seasons in 2023. Starling Marte is one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Those three in the outfield are a roll of the dice. McNeil can certainly stay and remain the starting second baseman and fill-in at other positions. He just isn’t a player the Mets should hold for ransom in a trade.

The McNeil contract extension he signed earlier this year is guaranteed through 2026 with a team option in 2027. This doesn’t mesh as perfectly with the expected plan to aim at 2025 for the next season when they seriously compete. 

Prediction: There are a lot of McNeil trade rumors in the offseason. He ultimately stays and rebounds with a big year in 2024. Maybe then, with the trade value up again, the Mets ship him out.

4) NY Mets trade block needs to have Adam Ottavino on it

Curiously, the Mets held onto Adam Ottavino who has a player option for next season. Was the market that small for the veteran righty? There’s a chance that with his age he’d prefer to walk away and take less money to pitch for a contender. If so, the Mets made a mistake of not dealing him away last week.

A conversation needed to happen between the Mets and Ottavino about this. He re-signed with them in the offseason so he must not hate it here. As a New Yorker, the location has some meaning already.

The more pondering about Ottavino’s continued stay on the Mets roster you make, the more it’s worth questioning why he’s remaining. In fairness, he might not get another one-year deal worth the $7.25 million he’s signed for next season. He has been good but not excellent. Another year of taxation on his arm takes away some of the appeal. His 2022 season justified the current contract. What he has done in 2023 doesn’t.

Prediction: Ottavino opts out of his deal and it’s a moot point to trade him. There might not be too many years left for him in the big leagues. Despite having 18 playoff appearances, Ottavino has never made it to the World Series let alone won it.

He did recently discuss his intentions of returning next season. Things could change. And even if he does opt into the deal, trade shouldn't be off the table for the Mets.

5) NY Mets trade block needs to have Trevor Gott on it

You can try to justify putting Pete Alonso on the trade block or another more important member of the Mets. Trevor Gott is a definite. It doesn’t matter if the Mets picked up Chris Flexen’s salary to get him. Gott is under team control for only one more season and before the value completely implodes, shopping him around this winter is a must.

But here’s the counterargument. What could you really get back for Gott? The Mets will need someone to pitch innings for them. Keeping him around, as painful as it may be, might actually be the better action to take. He’ll be arbitration eligible next year yet not a burden on the payroll whatsoever. What do the Mets have to lose? They’ve already taken the L on the trade with the Seattle Mariners that brought him to Queens.

Gott is already a non-tender candidate if things go south enough where the team just wants to cut bait. Considering how attached they became to Daniel Vogelbach when they could have simply let him slip away or how long they kept Darin Ruf on the roster before finally cutting him, it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see them forcefully keep Gott around for as long as possible.

Prediction: Gott is traded for next-to-nothing in an early offseason move by President of Baseball Operations David Stearns.