The New York Mets have been one of the most disappointing teams in Major League Baseball this season. They entered Friday with a 48-54 mark on the year, putting them seven games out of the National League's third wild card spot. Strange things can happen in baseball, even over the course of two months. The Mets, though, have seen their playoff odds dwindle to such an extent that on Thursday they dealt closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, a team they're theoretically competing against in the wild-card race.
There's now a "belief within the industry" that the Mets could look to move veteran right-hander Justin Verlander ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Whether or not that comes to fruition, the Mets figure to have more moves coming before the clock strikes 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
Below, we've highlighted five Mets who could be realistic trade targets for other teams. Do note that we've excluded Verlander, Max Scherzer, and New York's other high-cost veterans. Those situations are more complex due to a combination of their salaries and no-trade clauses. These players, on the other hand, can be moved without teams having to first clear the way of red tape. The players are presented in alphabetical order.
Canha, 34, technically has another year remaining on his contract in the form of an $11.5 million club option. We could see the Mets parting with him anyway, perhaps with the intent to add more wallop to their lineup this winter. Canha's power output has cratered since signing with New York. Indeed, he's on pace to record the two lowest ISO of his career as a Met, with both marks falling nearly 20 points below his previous worst with the Athletics. To Canha's credit, he continues to display contact and on-base skills, a combination that has him on the sunny side of league-average offense. A team willing to stomach his subpar thunder could target him, as a rental or otherwise.
Carrasco, 36, is in the midst of a horrible year. Teams have shown a willingness to take chances on other veterans in similar situations -- the early parts of the trade season saw swaps involving underperforming players like Shintaro Fujinami, Kiké Hernández, and Dylan Floro, among others. Might some team become enamored with fixing Carrasco? We're skeptical. Carrasco's fastball has grown ineffective, to the extent that opponents are hitting .356 and slugging .644 against it so far in 2023. He's throwing it once out of every three pitches, suggesting that there's not much more he can do to minimize his heater's exposure. Perhaps a club will think they can work with him to improve his fastball or his pitch mix. If we had to guess, there's enough superior mid-to-back-end starters available that Carrasco won't be moved.
Pham, 35, has been a revelation for the Mets since some early struggles. He ranks in the 96th percentile in average exit velocity; the 81st percentile in hard-hit percentage; and the 94th percentile in chase rate. In layman's terms: he's hitting the ball hard and controlling the strike zone. That's a good combination, and one that could appeal to any contenders seeking a rental outfielder who is capable of scorching left-handed pitching.
4. José Quintana, LHP
Quintana, 34, only recently made his Mets debut, more than seven months after signing a two-year, $26 million pact over the winter. We don't think there's great incentive for the Mets to move Quintana, who suffered a rib injury back in the spring. It doesn't hurt to listen, however, and it's easier to find a pathway to a deal for Quintana than some of the Mets' other veterans. As such, we took full advantage of our creative control and put him on here.
You could slot in almost any other veteran from the Mets bullpen, including Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, and Dominic Leone. We're opting to highlight Smith because he's sneaking ever closer to his winter 2024 date with free agency. Plus, it's possible that some team becomes fixated by his arm strength and spin rates and overlook his spotty barrel-to-whiff ratio.
