Mets trade deadline overview: Where and how can New York upgrade?

New York Times

5 days ago

NEW YORK — Now with fewer than 10 days before the trade deadline, David Stearns and the Mets have provided some clarity about their potential direction.
There are four main areas the Mets could address between now and July 31: the bullpen, the rotation, center field and third base. Stearns addressed all of those areas Monday. So let's run through how Stearns views his roster publicly and the potential options on the trade market for improvement.
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We'll break the positions down into big splashes, smaller splashes, likelier targets and under-the-radar names, even though Stearns was against that metaphor Monday.
'I try not to look at it as the size of the splash. That can get a little dangerous this time of year,' he said. 'We try to look at how good the player coming back is and how that particular player fits the team needs.'
One didn't need to read between the lines with Stearns on Monday. He made it abundantly clear the Mets will be adding to their relief corps.
'We will be active (in the bullpen),' Stearns said, alluding to the series of injuries the Mets have suffered there. 'Providing our group reinforcements there would be great.'
Note the plural. Barring injury, the Mets have six quality candidates for a postseason bullpen: Edwin Díaz, Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek and José Buttó. That group could conceivably be supplemented by anyone who falls out of the starting rotation or, as The Athletic reported earlier Monday, by Triple-A starters converted into relievers.
But there should be room for two additions, one of whom is adept at handling left-handed hitters.
The big splash: Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland
The lights-out closer would be the best reliever moved at the deadline since at least 2016, when Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller were both dealt. Clase comes with three years of additional inexpensive team control (at $26 million total), and the Mets could acquire him as insurance in case Díaz opts out and seeks a bigger payday elsewhere.
Still a splash: Griffin Jax, Minnesota
A less familiar name from the AL Central, Jax has quietly been one of the game's best relievers since breaking out as a 27-year-old in 2022. Like Clase, he's under longer team control (through 2027). Since the start of last season, Jax is tied with Josh Hader for the fifth-best strikeout rate in baseball (37.9 percent), just ahead of Díaz. Jax does that without walking many batters; his walk rate is less than half that of the Mets' bullpen. Jax primarily uses a high-80s slider and low-90s changeup that each generate a ton of chase. Pairing him with Díaz would shorten games considerably.
Worth mentioning: Danny Coulombe, Minnesota
Another Twin, Coulombe is likely the best lefty reliever who will be moved by July 31. His ERA is below 1.00, his FIP below 2.00 and his strikeout and walk rates are both better than the league average. Since the start of 2023, only 12 relievers have held lefties to a lower OPS than Coulombe's .509.
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An under-the-radar target: Shelby Miller, Arizona
One of those relievers is the righty Miller, who has held lefties to a .465 OPS since he added a splitter to his arsenal in 2023. Although on the IL with a right forearm strain, Miller is slated to return this week for the Diamondbacks, where he's served as the closer since injuries to A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez earlier in the season.
One thing has become clear: The Mets are not going to add depth to their starting rotation. Now that they've gotten some pitchers back, with others on the way from either the IL (injured list) or the IL (International League), New York isn't looking to add an arm just to add an arm.
If the Mets are going to add a starter, it would be one they'd want to start a playoff game, likely alongside a postseason rotation of Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and David Peterson.
'I still think (a No. 1 starter) is really valuable,' Stearns said. 'You'd always like to have the horse at the front of the rotation. But it's not the only way to build a rotation, it's not the only way to win a playoff series, it's not the only way to win a World Series.
'I think we have multiple pitchers on our staff right now who can lead a staff into a playoff series. I'm confident with that, I'm comfortable with that.'
In other words, this is not a top priority for the Mets.
The big splash: Joe Ryan, Minnesota
In a weak market for top-of-the-rotation arms, Ryan stands out as the type of pitcher you can push out there in Game 1 of a postseason series — and he's controlled through 2027. That makes Minnesota understandably loath to trade him, and the return would have to be significant. For the Mets, that would likely mean consolidating multiple arms in the majors or high-minors for Ryan.
A familiar target: Seth Lugo, Kansas City
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After years pining for the opportunity to start, Lugo left the Mets following the 2022 season and has been one of the game's better starters in San Diego and Kansas City since, finishing second in the AL Cy Young balloting a season ago. While Lugo's ERA remains excellent this year, his peripheral numbers are not as strong. His home run rate has doubled from last year, and he's benefited from a lower batting average on balls in play and a very good strand rate — things that tend to regress over time. Nevertheless, Lugo would likely represent an upgrade over Clay Holmes or Frankie Montas in the back of the rotation.
Worth mentioning: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Arizona
Gallen and Kelly were the driving forces behind Arizona's surprising push to the World Series in 2023. If the Diamondbacks, who entered Monday at 50-50, decided to sell either of the impending free agents, they'd qualify as postseason starters for most any team.
While the bigger name, Gallen has had a rougher season, with an ERA over five and peripheral numbers that suggest that's about right. Kelly is older and with less of a standout track record, but he's been a solid second or third starter for several years. The righty generates a lot of swing-and-miss with his outstanding changeup.
Stearns explicitly acknowledged center field as 'the one position where we haven't gotten the level of production we anticipated coming into the year.' But that doesn't mean he's hell-bent on finding an external solution.
'For me, the bar to improve center field has probably risen over the past two weeks,' Stearns said, 'because of Jeff (McNeil)'s comfort level and the secondary skills that Tyrone (Taylor) can provide.
'I'm certain we're going to be engaged, but we've got to clear the bar.'
The big splash: Jarren Duran, Boston
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Duran doesn't even play center, and he's on a team likely to buy at the deadline. So why's he on this list? Because the Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders — one only exacerbated by Ceddanne Rafaela's recent offensive explosion — and because Duran is miscast in left field. His defensive numbers were far better in center last season, and he brings a high ceiling, as shown by his top-10 MVP finish last season. His offensive numbers have taken an unsurprising step back, but Duran is still solidly above league average at a position with very few two-way contributors.
He's under team control through 2028, so it would take a fair amount to get him — probably including a major-league piece.
First things first… JARREN. pic.twitter.com/wj2KXCAhpt
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 21, 2025
Still a splash: Luis Robert, Chicago White Sox
Since returning from the injured list in early July, Robert has helped reestablish some semblance of trade value, posting an OPS north of 1.000 in nine games. Look, when you have the kind of season Robert did as a 25-year-old in 2023 — an .857 OPS and 38 homers while playing a solid center — teams will look for any reason to give you another shot. Robert's defense in center is average to slightly above, and so he owns a reasonable floor as an everyday player, with the chance to be much more.
Worth mentioning: Cedric Mullins, Baltimore
Following a scorching start to the season, Mullins has been in an extended slump. Since the end of April, his average is under .200 and his OPS under .600. Furthermore, his typically stout center-field defense has been dinged by advanced metrics all season. At the moment, he looks less like an upgrade than he had for much of the year.
Stearns explicitly said he expects the Mets' answer at third base this season to come from within. New York has been cycling through Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio pretty regularly at the position of late, and each offers a compelling reason for more of an everyday opportunity. Vientos was an integral part of last season's turnaround. Baty stayed hot Monday with a two-run homer, and he's raised his OPS above .700 (and above the league average) with consistently improving glovework. Mauricio has looked comfortable at third and provided some pop, especially against right-handed pitching.
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So unless that's all posturing or something changes significantly in the next 10 days, the list here is more of a thought exercise.
The big splash: Eugenio Suárez, Arizona
Suárez is likely to be the best bat moved between now and the deadline. He's smashed 36 home runs already this season — his most since 2019 — and has been red-hot basically since the middle of last season. He can hold his own at third base, and he'd provide clarity at a position of flux and another middle-of-the-order masher. Put Suárez in the lineup, and the Mets' top five hitters might all hit 30-plus homers. The Mets have never had even three 30-homer hitters.
A likelier target: Willi Castro, Minnesota
An All-Star last year, the do-everything Castro is having his best season this year, hitting about 20 percent better than the league average while playing every position on the field except catcher. Acquiring Castro would only further Carlos Mendoza's day-to-day flexibility. The switch hitter has been platoon-neutral across his career but is mashing lefties this season — a particular benefit if he joins a mix with Baty and Mauricio, who are better versus right-handed pitching. Castro can start at second on days McNeil is in center. He can play the corner outfield if you want to give a DH day to Juan Soto or Brandon Nimmo. He can play third on a more regular basis if he's the best option there. (The downside is that third base has been arguably Castro's worst defensive position this year.)
An under-the-radar target: Yoán Moncada, Los Angeles Angels
Moncada represents much more of a boom-or-bust option. When healthy, he's been a solid, above-average hitter capable of a double-digit walk rate and legitimate power. The problem is how rarely Moncada has been healthy. Since the start of 2023, he's played just 142 games.
(Top photo of Emmanuel Clase: Griffin Quinn / Getty Images)