Mets gearing up for Deadline that will start shifting focus to '27

PHILADELPHIA -- Francisco Lindor needed precious few words to sum up the first half of this Mets season.

“It wasn’t good,” Lindor said. “It’s not to the standard that we have here, and definitely not what we expected.”

With more than two weeks left until the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, most Major League teams are either squarely in the postseason hunt or hoping to play well enough in late July to get there. Not the Mets. By playing .384 baseball from April 8 through the All-Star break, the Mets robbed themselves of any opportunity to go for it at the Deadline. Instead, they will lead a small group of sellers, shedding players off their roster in hopes of improving for 2027.

• Record at the break: 40-57 (Last in NL East, 16.0 games back)
• Record at the break last year: 55-42 (Second in NL East, 0.5 games back)
• Playoff odds: 0.8%
• Remaining strength of schedule: .539 (1st, hardest in MLB)

Because the Mets have a clubhouse full of high-salaried veterans, they at least have plenty to sell. Left-handed relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter, who can both become free agents after the season, are as good as out the door. Starters Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes may not hold as much value as they once did due to performance and injury issues, respectively, but they should both also still be on the radars of many teams. So should Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán and other relievers.

Among the team’s less obvious trade candidates are catcher Francisco Alvarez and even Lindor, though midseason deals for everyday position players with multiple years of team control are rare. The point is this: The Mets played poorly enough for long enough that just about anyone could go in the right Deadline deal.

“It’s unacceptable,” Lindor said. “[Fans] shouldn’t be happy with where we are at and how we are playing, how I’m playing.

“Continue to fight. At the end of the day, that’s the only thing we can do. And we’re going to try to be better. We’re going to play as hard as we can in the second half, and hopefully we put ourselves in a much better position. Because right now, it’s not where we want to be.”

How the Mets engineer their offseason will depend at least in part on their Trade Deadline strategy. As sellers, they should be as active as any team in baseball. While not quite what they envisioned heading into the season, it’s nonetheless where they are.

“It’s a better team than that,” interim manager Andy Green said. “There’s too much talent in the room to be in this spot right now.”

• Biggest need: Where there is value to be found, the Mets must unearth it via trades. In particular, New York’s farm system needs to begin pumping out Major League-quality starting pitching more consistently. If they can acquire the types of pitching prospects that could make an impact as soon as 2027, that would be ideal. Young starters already in the big leagues would also help their cause.

• Biggest chip: Despite his struggles, and despite the fact that he can become a free agent after this season, Peralta can still probably fetch as much as any tradeable player on the Mets’ roster. He has the pedigree of a multi-time All-Star and is less than one year removed from finishing fifth in National League Cy Young voting. Given how much starting pitching is in demand around the league, the Mets would do well to explore Peralta’s market.

• Key player for second half: Even in a disappointing season, Nolan McLean has flashed the type of frontline potential that made him an NL Rookie of the Year favorite heading into the year. Though McLean’s command of his arsenal has been suspect, he entered the break with better control and a 2.35 ERA over his last eight starts. Continued improvement from him would set the Mets on a better course heading into 2027.

• Determining factor: There’s nothing left for the Mets to determine. Given multiple opportunities to avoid a Trade Deadline selloff, the team floundered every time. As a result, the Mets will be dealing away significant players prior to Aug. 3. The only remaining question is whom.