These 6 New York Mets are playing for their futures in the second half

At this point, there’s very little mystery around the New York Mets‘ strategy at the trade deadline. They’ve gone 14-24 since the start of June, and only the Colorado Rockies currently have a worse record in the National League; even a strong couple of weeks won’t be enough to keep David Stearns from selling and attempting to reload for 2027.

The only question now is which players have a place in that future, and which ones don't? New York will almost certainly flip rentals like Freddy Peralta before Aug. 3 rolls around. For several of those who survive the deadline, though, a huge stretch run awaits, one that will determine whether they're playing for the Mets next spring.

The only question now is which players have a place in that future, and which ones don’t? New York will almost certainly flip rentals like Freddy Peralta before Aug. 3 rolls around. For several of those who survive the deadline, though, a huge stretch run awaits, one that will determine whether they’re playing for the Mets next spring.

1B/3B Mark Vientos

For a little while there, it looked like Vientos was finally turning the corner at the plate, driving the ball with the authority we saw down the stretch of 2024 when he looked like a budding star (even if the top-line numbers weren’t showing it yet). Things have unraveled since then, though: He’s slashing just .211/.256/.388 on the year, and the at-bats seem to only be getting worse.

It would be one thing if he offered value elsewhere. But Vientos’ defense has been arguably worse than his offense, thanks to a transition to first base that’s become a four-alarm fire. Vientos isn’t all that young anymore; at 26 years old, it feels like we’d know by now if the lightbulb were ever going to come on. Whether they can find a trade partner for him or not, he simply doesn’t have a role moving forward as a righty who can’t field his position or run the bases.

INF/OF Brett Baty

Baty can at least argue for a bench spot as a lefty capable of playing second base, third base and either outfield corner as needed. (Though it’s worth noting that he doesn’t plaly any of them particularly well.) Offensively, though, it’s time to call it: Baty still isn’t pulling the ball in the air nearly enough, and unless that changes, he’s not going to be anything more than a second-division regular.

That’s a rough outcome for fans who were hoping for much more given the hype that surrounded Baty as a former first-round pick. Last year’s uptick aside, though, there’s just nothing in his profile that points to an every-day role moving forward. The Mets might keep him around as a fifth infielder type, but is he really the best use of that role/roster spot? Someone who actually brings positive defensive value and speed would make more sense.

RHP Kodai Senga

Mets fans probably don’t need to see Senga again in the second half to call this one, not with Zach Thornton’s emergence of late and Clay Holmes potentially coming back from his leg fracture in August. But New York might well part with both Holmes and Freddy Peralta before the Aug. 3 deadline, and if that is indeed the case, that’s two rotation spots that need to be filled between now and the end of the season.

Plus, the Mets are still on the hook for $15 million in salary for Senga in 2027; they’re going to give him every chance to prove that he can be a consistent big-league starter, especially given the flashes he showed earlier in his career before injuries and command issues derailed things. If he’s at least competent down the stretch, New York will try to find a use for him next season. If not, though, it’s time to cut bait — or try to find a team willing to take on the final guaranteed year of his contract.

OF Luis Robert Jr.

Robert has no more guaranteed money left on his deal, with a $20 million team option for 2027 all that’s left on the extension he originally signed with the Chicago White Sox. As much as that tantalizing two-way upside might still be there for the 28-year-old (he’ll turn 29 in August), he’s once again struggled to stay healthy — and whenever his current rehab stint ends, he’ll be rejoining a Mets outfield that looks a lot different than it did when he first went on the shelf with a back issue.

One of the very few silver linings to this lost season has been the play of rookies AJ Ewing and Carson Benge, both of whom look like they’ll be quality starters (at the very least) for years to come. The trio of Benge in left, Ewing in center and Soto in right can be written in pen, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for Robert. He could profile pretty well as a fourth outfielder, given his defensive ability and the ease that would put on his body. No team is paying $20 million for a fourth outfielder, though, and it’s tough to see New York picking that up if he can’t start producing.

INF Ronny Mauricio

It’s looking well past time to admit that Mauricio simply isn’t a big-league hitter. He’s striking out a whopping 36 percent of the time in a limited role so far this season, with astronomical swing, chase and whiff rates. Time missed due to injuries in his career certainly hasn’t helped, but we’re in year three for the 25-year-old and we appear no closer to a workable plate approach.

Mauricio has long been a tantalizing proposition because of his serious physical tools, but even those seem less impressive now that he’s on the other side of a torn ACL in the winter of 2023. It’s tough to see what exactly he brings to the table at this point, and while you never want to bail too early on a former top prospect, all of these things were red flags in the Minors as well. If he can’t carve out a role and show improvement late in a lost season, it’s time to move on.

C Francisco Alvarez

This is easily the most controversial inclusion on this list, and I understand why. Alvarez has shown big-time potential at the plate, and could well be a star already had he not fallen victim to truly, singularly awful injury luck.

And yet, no matter how jaw-dropping the power or how enticing the batted-ball data, the fact is that Alvarez has only been an above-league-average bat once in four seasons to date. He also has yet to reach even two bWAR in a single season, largely because he’s regressed as a defender — to the point where the Mets clearly don’t feel comfortable riding with him as their every-day catcher. What is he moving forward? A starting catcher? A DH? Something in between? He’s about to go to arbitration for the first time, and if the Mets can’t get a clear answer to that question, they could look to flip him in the offseason.

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