How will Mets' bumpy first half impact Deadline plans?

Anthony DiComo, MLB.com’s Mets beat reporter, held an “Ask Me Anything” this week on Reddit with Mets fans at r/NewYorkMets. This mailbag features excerpted questions and answers from that event (some lightly edited for clarity). The full AMA is available to read *here.*

Outside of Freddy Peralta and Brooks Raley, we don’t seem to have any guys on expiring deals that are going to net much at the Trade Deadline. So, do you foresee the front office moving any players who are under contract for 2027? It seems like all of those players are either guys you want on the team, or guys who aren’t going to bring anything back besides low-level prospects.

As we sit here in mid-June, the most likely strategy I see for the Mets is standing pat, largely for the reasons you state. If you’re not trading players for significant returns, like the Mets did in 2023 (focus on the process there, not the long-term result), what’s even the point? Might as well keep everyone, try to make a last-ditch run at the playoffs, and if that doesn't work out, at least tag Peralta with a qualifying offer. Maybe that changes if someone backs up the Brink’s truck for Peralta at the Deadline, but unless he starts pitching much better very soon, that seems unlikely.

I also don’t consider it super likely for the Mets to start trading away players under contract for next year, such as Luke Weaver or Devin Williams. They’re going to have enough holes to fill next winter that adding more isn’t exactly smart, unless they’re planning a full-scale rebuild. They’ve given no indications to that end.

So yeah, I think a guy like Raley, who has limited value for the Mets at this point, can certainly go, and perhaps Peralta if the offer is right. But also, maybe not. Maybe the Mets of August look a whole lot like the Mets of June.

How excited was the team for the Knicks’ win? Any inspiration for how much the city rallied around the Knicks and what that could mean for a Mets World Series?

They were excited in the same way most fans were. You have to realize though, most of these guys are not from the area. Unless they live in the five boroughs, they were a bit removed from the bulk of the celebrations. That said, guys do recognize that the Knicks are a counterpart for them on the New York sports scene. They see how cool it is to win in this city, as I wrote in my last newsletter. They also understand they're a long way off from achieving similar heights, so it’s tough to see this as a true parallel given how poorly the Mets are playing.

Season is obviously not going as anyone wanted it to, but how do folks like yourself, other writers, the guys in the booth handle seasons like this? It’s one thing underperforming as a player, but having to travel the country as much as you do, what do you do to not let a down season get to you?

Similar to players, I think. Would things be better if the Mets were winning? Of course. More people would be reading the coverage, more people would care, the stadium would have more life. Those types of things are good for everybody. But my job is to cover the team regardless of how good or bad it is. There are interesting stories in every club, no matter its record. The fun of traveling the country and enjoying that aspect of the job is also mostly unaffected. So much like Mets players, it’s not as if I'm flying around the country with a permanent scowl on my face. In many ways, it’s business as usual.

Do you think any Mets pitchers will make the All-Star team? If so, who?

You could make a case for Huascar Brazobán, Weaver or Raley, even though it’s difficult for non-closing relievers to make the team. Realistically, though, I think the Mets send Juan Soto to the All-Star Game, and that’s probably it.

What happened to Mike Tauchman? I don’t think I’ve seen any updates on him.

I haven’t asked about Tauchman in several weeks, but as of the last update (probably around the middle of last month), his rehab wasn't going well. He hadn’t started serious baseball activities. I wouldn’t expect much of anything from Tauchman this year as a result. Remember, Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez both had the same injury and recovered from it in a fraction of the time that it’s taken Tauchman.