3 players the Mets could trade in the future beyond Pete Alonso to nuke the roster

Pete Alonso is the player whose name comes up in discussions most about leaving the New York Mets. Understandable because of his lame duck contract and trade rumors that have the same survivability as the monster in a horror film, envisioning the Mets without him on the roster isn’t so difficult. He could be traded this summer. He could leave in free agency. There are a lot of ways this can end without him in blue and orange.

Trading Alonso or letting him leave is one way David Stearns could nuke the Mets roster. But if the team has the desire to lower the payroll even more at some point, there will be other opportunities.

Stearns wasn’t shy about making big moves during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers. Thus far, as an employee with the Mets, he hasn’t delivered any gut punches to the fanbase. Beyond Alonso, how else could Stearns drop an atomic bomb on the roster?

1) Trade Jeff McNeil

Jeff McNeil isn’t quite as beloved as Alonso, but it’s not too distant. McNeil is temperamental at times—already shown on Opening Day this season. As a player, his ability to move around the field and put the bat on the baseball is a unique attribute which makes him a fit for just about any roster. Trading him, however, does feel like a possibility for a ball club stacked with infield prospects and no place for all of them to play.

McNeil will make $15.75 million through the 2026 season with a chance at one more season of it in 2027. The contract is team friendly if he’s batting over .300. Anything less and the contract feels a little more appropriate or even overpriced in some regards.

The Mets could have some obvious backup plans in place already. Luisangel Acuna is sure to get some innings as a second baseman on the MLB roster. He’s the quick answer and likeliest to end up playing alongside Francisco Lindor up the middle.

McNeil should remain an in-demand player for other organizations due to his ability to play second base and left field well. It would be sad to see him go from the Mets. The contract isn’t outrageous and if getting younger at the position is something Stearns feels the team should do, they should be able to find a match. 

2) Trade Kodai Senga

Here’s where things lie with Kodai Senga: excellent as a rookie in 2023, injured to start the year in 2024, an opt out after the 2025 season. Should we believe the Mets will trade Senga anytime soon? Absolutely not. He’s going to be a bargain for them through the end of 2025, unless of course everything goes awry next year and he ends up on the trade block.

We should actually expect the Mets to heavily shop Senga in 2025 if they aren’t in contention with one footnote on it: Senga needs to pitch 400 total innings from 2023-2025. He had 166.1 in year one. Let’s give him another 100-120 this year and next. It’s attainable even without the best health.

Senga’s contract isn’t complicated beyond the available opt-out and team option in 2028 that’s conditional based on, you guessed it, staying off the IL. Worth $15 million in 2024 and 2025, a successful year in 2024 for Senga will put him in a position to opt out ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Let’s put it in a way that isn’t just a bunch of words, dollars, and years. Senga is too good for what his contract will pay him. He is worth far more than $15 million a year and even if the commitments he gets in the future are shorter, it should topple the AAV.

Stearns would be bold to trade Senga this year or next because it isn’t such an outrageous deal even if he misses time. He might not even have a chance to push the nuclear button as Senga’s choice to opt out may eventually cause him to leave the Mets instead.