The Mets sold at the deadline, but there will be more selling to do this offseason. Here are players that are almost certain to get moved as the strategy changes.
The New York Mets aren't just shifting gears, they are moving their locomotive to a new track entirely. Team owner Steve Cohen has admitted that the strategy of spending more than everyone else hasn't worked. Sustainable competition is what the team is after now.
To do that, Cohen has already signaled that they will need to build up a pipeline of strong, youthful talent. With that, the team has already acquired several prospects in trades they made before the MLB trade deadline this week, but they can still make more moves.
This offseason, expect these players to say goodbye to the Mets.
Mets who weren't traded but will be: Pete Alonso
Let's just get this one out of the way straightaway, shall we? Most Mets fans already understand this to be the case, but Pete Alonso is almost certain to be moved this offseason.
Alonso, who is under team control all of next year, has struggled at points this season, putting up a .222 batting average and his worst on-base percentage of his career at .313. With 31 home runs, his slug has remained tenable and made his overall OPS look fine, but there have been serious dark points to Alonso's plate performance this year.
Regardless of those struggles, teams will look at Alonso's age and past performance and buy right into what the Mets have to sell. He's a slugger who can completely change the tune of your offense when he's hot, and his fielding is… fine. He's an exact average defender at first base according to Statcast's outs above average metric.
Alonso will be moved because he'll net the Mets exactly what they need: More prospects to add to the pipeline.
While other big names like Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor might be safe because their contract length could have them still in Queens by the time the seeds start to bloom on the youth pipeline, Alonso's contract length just doesn't jive with the new strategy the Mets are going with.
Mets who weren't traded but will be: Jose Quintana
It was somewhat shocking to see the trade deadline come and go with the Mets moving three pitchers, not one of them named Jose Quintana. He was gaining trade interest in late July according to Andy Martino of SNY.
New York may have cannibalized the market on Quintana by moving Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, plus Quintana's ongoing injury issues probably pushed teams away. That could work out in the Mets' favor, though, because it gives them time to establish a reasoning for higher bids on Quintana, who is still early in his own 2023 season.
Quintana has started just three games this season, so teams looking for arms right now may not have had faith that Quintana could be a reliable addition to their starting rotation.
Now, the Mets have the rest of the year to roll him out there and continue building up his profile as a starter worth trading for. He's under contract all of next year, and with a weak free agent market, the Mets could posture him as a pitcher better than what teams would be able to get on a one-year deal in the open market. He may serve as a stop-gap add to a starting rotation to help teams bridge the gap to 2025, which could be a stronger free agent class.
In his three starts, Quintana has a 3.57 ERA but a much better 2.98 FIP.
Mets who weren't traded but will be: Edwin Diaz
Edwin Diaz is one of those players that is really tough to get a good feel for what the Mets will do with this offseason. After the latest rumors, though, I think Diaz probably gets moved.
Bob Nightengale suggested on Sunday that along with Alonso, Diaz is probably the most likely other big name to get traded.
Looking at the roster and what the Mets have to offer, I think most of their players on longer deals may wind up sticking around. Teams could prefer to buy Mets assets that will come off the books sooner than later so they don't get burned on a bad contract. In the case of a closing pitcher, though, there's a bit more reliability, typically, in career performance.
Plus, Diaz has proven to be one of the elite closers of the game, which is such a key role to have on the roster.
Diaz has been injured all year after suffering a devastating torn right patellar tendon in the World Baseball Classic. A team option doesn't come up in Diaz's contract until 2028, but he can opt out after 2025 or 2026, so the length of his services is a bit shorter than initially advertised if he performs well.
