Aggressive Mets trade proposals that would build the future around Juan Soto

As we all expected, the New York Mets — the second-most expensive team in MLB — are marginally better than the Colorado Rockies. The Mets (.418) narrowly edge out Colorado (.398) for the second-worst win percentage in the National League.

It has been the season from hell for the Mets, a team many expected to rebound from the disappointment of 2025. Instead, it's disappointment on disappointment, compounded by several unforced errors and ambitious misfires from the front office last winter. It's almost hard to build a team as expensive and ineffective as these Mets, but David Stearns figured out how.

The next step is to build around Juan Soto. As SNY's Chelsea Janes reports, the Mets are wide open for business. Let's fire up the trade machine.

Mets send RHP Freddy Peralta to the Cubs

The Freddy Peralta trade was not the masterstroke we all thought it was, as the former Brewers ace has sputtered with a 4.66 ERA and 1.44 WHIP across 20 starts. On an expiring contract, trading Peralta is the only logical next step — even if it's a sunk cost. Few contenders need a shot in the rotational arm more than the Cubs, who are once again beset by injuries.

Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown are both stuck on the IL, while Justin Steele's rehab timeline is increasingly murky. The Cubs are a super talented team with legitimate World Series aspirations, but it's hard to reach the mountaintop without reliable depth on the mound. Milwaukee was never going to trade Peralta to their foremost division rivals last winter, but this is a prime opportunity for Chicago to flip the script and add a secret weapon that their division rivals are intimately familiar with.

In exchange, the Mets get a potential Pete Alonso replacement in 24-year-old Jonathon Long, who's one of the most refined hitters in the Cubs' farm system. Long is a tricky positional fit in Chicago at first base. The Mets can clear the runway far quicker, especially with a few more trade shake-ups (more on that shortly).

The Mets also acquire 23-year-old right-hander Brooks Caple, a college reliever turned starter whose deceptive release and jittery fastball compensate for lower velocity. He commands the zone reasonably well and projects as a solid back-end starter type within the next year or so, giving the Mets a developmental arm to help backfill the rotation behind their lone untouchable pitcher, Nolan McLean.

Mets send INF Bo Bichette to the Braves

As pitched by FanSided's Chris Landers. The Mets probably aren't keen on dealing with such a close rival, but Atlanta's need at shortstop is well-documented. Plus, the chance to get out of the Bo Bichette business is probably appealing enough to outweigh any short-term competitive disadvantage in the divison.

The Bichette contract has become a major dead weight for New York. He's on the turnaround, but a .670 OPS and 87 wRC+ at the season's midpoint is not what the Mets (or their fans) expected when Bichette inked a massive three-year, $126 million deal. Bichette is a hitter's hitter and his start to the season was more fluky than anything, but factor in middling defense, and it's hard for Bichette to live up to his price tag.

The allure of that contract was Bichette's ability to opt out after a year and seek a new, longer-term deal. He could still test the free agent waters, especially if he finishes out the year strong, but Bichette's best bet is probably opting in for another year (at least). The Mets are never wanting for cash under Steve Cohen, but liquidating $42 million AAV to pursue better, more sustainable production is a smart business move.

Especially if the Braves are willing to deal two MLB-ready pitchers to get the job done. Owen Murphy recently debuted for Atlanta. The 22-year-old righty hammers the strike zone with excellent ride and deception on his fastball, with strong secondaries he can sprinkle in. Rolddy Muñoz, a 26-year-old righty, is more of a classic bullpen fireballer who toggles between triple-digit heat and a mean slider. He can help the Mets this season and beyond; New York needs all the support it can find in the bullpen, especially if their higher-leverage arms end up on the trade block.

Mets send RHP Luke Weaver to the Pirates

Pittsburgh moved mountains in the offseason to acquire Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn with their sights set on the 2026 postseason. That goal is still within reach for Don Kelly's squad, although the Bucs will need help on the mound — particularly from the bullpen. Luke Weaver is enjoying a career year in Queens, emerging as one of the few Mets bright spots. The 32-year-old has a 2.03 ERA and 0.83 WHIP with 43 strikeouts in 40.0 innings. He also has an extra year of club control, so the Mets could net a hearty return at the deadline.

Hunter Barco's first extended taste of MLB action did not go well, and he's still reeling a bit in the minors. Still, the 25-year-old southpaw is a highly regarded prospect with a strong four-pitch mix. He needs to sharpen his command, but Barco's splitter remains a devastating, imminently effective out pitch. Pittsburgh experimented with bringing him out of the bullpen this season, so even if Barco never quite lives up to his billing as a starter, the Mets could transform him into a quality reliever with a much longer window of club control than Weaver.

Mets send RHP Devin Williams to Phillies

Devin Williams has dramatically underperformed his metrics, with a 4.68 ERA and 1.65 WHIP across 32.2 innings. He has multiple gut-wrenching, explosive blown saves on his résumé. It's basically a repeat of last season. Maybe New York City is cursed.

He still misses a ton of bats (45 strikeouts) and his 30.7 percent hard-hit rate lands in MLB's 92nd percentile, per Baseball Savant. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more statistically unlucky pitcher over the past two seasons. Clearly there's something happening there, either mentally or physically, but Williams is very talented, with a strong track record of elite high-leverage pitching.

The Phillies just lost Brad Keller for the rest of the season. Williams inked a three-year, $42 million deal last winter, so he'd come to the Phillies with two additional years of club control. Perhaps a move to the setup role in front of Jhoan Durán can ease a bit of pressure and help Williams get back on track.

New York, again, probably wants to avoid directly dealing with a division rival, but the Phillies can take his contract off the books while giving the Mets a sooner-than-later replacement in Alex McFarlane, who is throwing absolute gas out of the bullpen in Double-A right now. Gabriel Rincones Jr. has struggled at the plate in his first taste of MLB competition, but he's a big lefty bat who can generate significant power when he's swinging at pitches in the zone.

Mets send SS Francisco Lindor to the Red Sox

If the Mets open the door to a Francisco Lindor trade — and they probably don't want to — we can safely assume he'd be heading to the American League. The Red Sox stand out as an obvious trade partner, still recovering from their failed runs at Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and others in free agency.

Lindor's contract is a complicating factor, as he's due $32.5 million annually through 2032, his age-37 season. The numbers aren't great this year, as Lindor has a .654 OPS and 85 wRC+. That is a bit deceiving, however, as Lindor has played hurt (or been absent) for much of the season, so he's out of rhythm. The underlying metrics are strong, too. It's a safe bet that he has more gas in the tank.

New York is not trading Lindor, a homegrown star and franchise icon, without a strong incentive. The Mets take on Trevor Story in this scenario, who is on a decisive downswing in his career (but he was also an All-Star in 2025). Story's $25 million salary in 2027, with the Mets able to swiftly opt out afterward, can help ease the Red Sox' financial burden.

In addition to Story, the Mets receive an appealing haul of young talent.

Marcelo Mayer's first full season with the Red Sox has not gone to plan (.594 OPS and 63 wRC+), but the 23-year-old is a former consensus top-20 MLB prospect. New York can reset its timeline and practice a bit of patience, able to toggle between third base, shortstop and second base as needed.

Kyson Witherspoon, 21, was Boston's first-round draft pick in 2025. The appeal starts with a monster fastball that explodes through the zone, but he has a deep bag of secondary pitches to sprinkle in, too. He should move through the minors at an accelerated pace.

Mikey Romero is a 22-year-old utility infielder who will probably settle in at second base if he sticks in the majors. This season has raised more questions than answers about Romero's developmental arc, as he's far too erratic with his swing decisions. Plus, while he's a malleable defender, he's not exactly a future Gold Glover. That said, the Mets offer a strong developmental pipeline and could envision Romero filling in the gaps between Mayer, the aforementioned Jonathon Long and other acquisitions or internal promotions.

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