MLB GMs reportedly convinced Mets will make these 2 players available at trade deadline

The New York Mets are back. Back to floundering at the bottom of the standings, that is. David Stearns took over the front office at the end of last season as consternation infected the fanbase. Rather than funneling Steve Cohen's unmatched financial reserve into major upgrades, the Mets mostly stood pat. The underlying reason was simple enough to understand. New York is focused on the future, not the present.

Stearns didn't want to renovate a sinking ship. Right or wrong, that is how New York has approached this roster. It's too early to write the obituary on this Mets season, but 20-25 is hardly a cause for celebration. The Mets are rapidly approaching the MLB basement and there is one obvious path forward — that of a rebuild, or at least a retool.

All signs point toward the Mets shelling out significant money next offseason, when the likes of Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes hit free agency. In order to clear the deck and set up an expensive winter, however, the Mets could sell big at the trade deadline.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, league executives expect the Mets to trade two offensive cornerstones — Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez — before the summer is out.

"While the Mets say they still have intentions of being a playoff team this year, GMs remain convinced the Mets will still make first baseman Pete Alonso and DH J.D. Martinez available in talks before the July 30 trade deadline."

The Mets may have "intentions" of being a playoff team, but the front office is clearly operating with a sense of clarity in the face of disappointment. Both Alonso and Martinez are free agents at season's end, and neither is particularly likely to re-sign.

Mets expected to trade Pete Alonso, J.D. Martinez before July 30 deadline

The headliner, of course, is Alonso. "The Polar Bear" is a fan favorite in New York, a real centerpiece of this generation's Mets history. Letting him walk would induce citywide heartbreak, whether it's the logical move or not. New York can quickly quell that heartbreak with another major addition — Soto-Mets is the offseason's most tantalizing possibility — but even if the Mets take off into the stratosphere, there will be a slight hint of bittersweetness if Alonso is with another team when it happens.

Alonso has been up to his usual tricks this season, slashing .230/.308/.454 with 10 home runs and 23 RBI in 174 AB. He's arguably the greatest pure power threat of the last half-decade, but there is natural trepidation about paying a defensive-negative first baseman well into his 30s. Alonso will demand a hefty long-term deal. The Mets have never been a team to balk at lofty contracts, but with Alonso, a major deal would almost certainly age poorly. Sometimes, a smart front office has to bite the bullet, even when fans don't want to.

Martinez, on the other hand, is a new arrival with little sentimental value to the Mets fandom. He missed roughly half of New York's games this season due to back issues, but the early returns are positive (.315/.359/.466 with two home runs and nine RBI in 73 AB). He's another major power threat who is just regaining his footing. There are several contenders around the league who would gladly welcome a half-season rental of the six-time All-Star.

New York is going to make moves, just not the type of moves fans expected when Stearns was hired and tasked with returning the Mets to relevancy. A long-term plan takes time, however, and New York is going to have to walk through fire before returning to the contenders' circle.