Matt Johnson
The New York Mets have been one of the worst teams in baseball this season, resulting in early MLB trade rumors surrounding starting pitcher Freddy Peralta. With the trade deadline just a few months away, there’s some early buzz regarding New York’s approach.
According to MLB insider Robert Murray, the Mets are “not close to selling” and there is complete belief throughout the organization that the season can be turned around. While there are plenty of players in New York who would generate significant interest from around the league, selling isn’t even considered an option by the front office right now.
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Entering MLB games today, the Mets sit at the bottom of the NL East with an 18-26 record. It puts New York 12.5 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves and 8 games back of the San Diego Padres for the final wild card spot in the National League.
There are, however, some signs of hope on the horizon. New York is 8-5 in May, tied for the sixth-most wins in Major League Baseball along with the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. It all comes during a stretch where the Mets pitching staff holds a 2.85 ERA (fifth in MLB).
Injuries remain an issue, however. New York’s starting rotation just lost Clay Holmes to a fractured fibula, and it could keep him out for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, there’s still no timeline for All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to return from his calf injury, and Jorge Polanco is without a return timeline as he deals with Achilles bursitis.
The next few series on the Mets schedule could potentially shift the front office’s approach. After the Subway Series this weekend, New York faces the Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds to close out May. Given the opponents, there’s a chance New York could be within three games of .500 entering June.
On the other hand, if New York posts a losing record during that stretch, selling might be the best option. Moving Holmes is now off the table, but the expiring contracts of Peralta, David Peterson, Craig Kimbrel, and Brooks Raley could potentially be flipped.
