5 New York Mets who won't be back after plummeting down NL East standings

After defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 20, the New York Mets improved to 12-8 on the season. They had improved to four games over .500 after starting the year 0-5, looking like the postseason contenders many expected them to be.

Unfortunately, all the Mets have done since that win is struggle. Even with their electric comeback win on Sunday, the Mets are 22-30 on the year. They're 15 games out of first place in the NL East and four games out of a postseason spot in general with several teams to jump. The season is far from over considering it's May, but with how the Mets have played, it's hard to expect much.

The way things are trending right now, the Mets appear to be in position to be sellers at the trade deadline. Things can change if they go on a run, but they'll have to turn their season around quickly. If the Mets do sell, Pete Alonso's name will be a popular one. He might get dealt, but that's far from a certainty. These five players, however, will almost certainly not survive the deadline or be back in a Mets uniform in 2025.

5) The Omar Narvaez signing has been a disastrous one for the Mets

The Mets signed Omar Narvaez to a one-year deal worth $8 million ahead of the 2023 season with a second-year player option worth another $7 million. The deal made no sense at the time with Tomas Nido under contract and Francisco Alvarez being just about MLB-ready, and it has only looked worse as time has gone by.

Narvaez missed much of last season due to injury and didn't do much when healthy, posting a .580 OPS. This season has seen his play take another step in the wrong direction as he's slashing .164/.203/.197 without a single home run. He had gone hitless in his first 27 at-bats at home before hitting a walk-off single on Sunday.

The Mets expected Narvaez to step up and take over the No. 1 catcher job when Alvarez went down with his injury but Nido is the one who has started most of the time. It's very possible Narvaez will be DFA'd when Alvarez makes his return and even if he lasts this season, he won't be back in 2025.

4) Harrison Bader can help several teams vying for a postseason spot

The Mets stayed away from big splashes this offseason but signed several veterans to short-term deals including Harrison Bader who signed on to be their regular center fielder. So far, that deal has worked out in New York's favor.

Bader has been elite defensively as always, ranking in the 95th percentile in OAA according to Baseball Savant, and has performed better than expected offensively, slashing .279/.329/.361 with two home runs and 16 RBI. He has eight stolen bases and has come up big in the clutch.

Defense in center field is incredibly valuable, and Bader is among the league's best in that regard. The fact that he's hitting at an above-average 104 OPS+ clip makes him a player who can really help teams in need of an outfielder down the stretch.

3) Jose Quintana will have a market at the trade deadline

The Mets signed Jose Quintana to a two-year deal heading into the 2023 campaign hoping that he'd be a solid mid-rotation arm for them, but he was limited to just 13 starts all of last season due to injury. By the time he had made his Mets debut the team was out of contention. Still, he pitched well, posting a 3.57 ERA in 75.2 innings of work.

His numbers have taken a step back this season, but his 5.13 ERA through ten starts is inflated greatly from a rough outing in Tampa Bay. Quintana allowed eight runs in just 2.2 innings of work that day in a Mets loss. Quintana has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his nine other starts, proving that most of the time he'll give his team a chance to win, which is really what he has done in his entire career.

With the 35-year-old set to hit free agency at the end of the season, the Mets will want to trade him at the deadline to ensure they get something for him if they're out of contention. He's not an ace, but Quintana should have a market as a mostly consistent veteran with some postseason experience as well.

2) Adam Ottavino won't be back with the Mets next season

Adam Ottavino surprised Mets fans by opting out of his contract at the end of last season only to sign a one-year deal to stay with the team. The right-hander has had his ups and downs throughout his Mets and MLB career, but when he's on, he can be a very valuable late-game arm.

Ottavino has had a bit of a rough month of May but has a 3.60 ERA in 20 appearances this season, recording nine holds and a save while only blowing one save opportunity. Ottavino has remained an incredibly tough pitcher for right-handed hitters to figure out, as they have just a .491 OPS against him.

The 38-year-old is making just $4.5 million this season, meaning he's a reliever any contender can afford. With how often relievers move at the trade deadline, it'd be pretty surprising to see him on this team past the deadline if the Mets are out of contention. Even if Ottavino does survive the deadline, it's hard to envision the Mets being too eager to bring him back.

1) J.D. Martinez's Mets stint might be shorter than he envisioned

J.D. Martinez signed a one-year deal to join the Mets just before Opening Day. After getting re-acclimated to live pitching and getting over a back injury, Martinez finally made his Mets debut at the end of April.

He's played in 27 games for the Mets this season and has done decently, slashing .276/.317/.429 with three home runs and ten RBI. He hasn't quite been the J.D. Martinez MLB fans have become accustomed to, but he does have a 119 OPS+ which is a whole lot better than what Mets fans have been used to at the DH spot.

Martinez is making a very reasonable $12 million this season and will almost certainly be in trade talks with teams in need of an offensive punch. He has his limitations since he's really just a DH at this stage of his career, but when right, his bat can be a game-changer.