3 Mets Who Will Be Traded After Carlos Mendoza Firing

Is this just the first shoe to drop?

Jun 11, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Brooks Raley (25) walks off the field after the top of the seventh inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It is a season of change in Queens right now, with the biggest change being the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza on Friday after a 34-47 start in 2026. Just a handful of hours before, the team traded veteran starter David Peterson, who was the longest tenured Met when he woke up that day, to the Chicago Cubs. The Mets' awful start has consequences, and they are beginning to be felt.

With interim manager Andy Green now writing the lineup cards and making the pitching changes, there could be a bundle of changes on the horizon in Queens. Green was not a part of the brain trust that Mendoza had formed in the Mets' dugout, which means he could take this roster in any different direction.

While there might not be as many lineup changes to start, the overall roster changes could be coming with Green going from the front office to the dugout. Factor in that there is roughly one month remaining until trading season is in full swing, and there could be a few familiar faces on their final legs with the Mets.

Let's examine three names who could be traded sooner than later with Mendoza gone.

These three Mets could be the next to go after the team fired Carlos Mendoza

3. 1B/DH Mark Vientos

This one will very likely not happen until the deadline is much closer, but you can never say never if a team gets desperate. Vientos has had a struggle of a season thus far, with ten homers and an OPS under .650 on the season. As if his struggles weren't bad enough, his playing time situation might be getting worse.

Andy Green says that Jared Young will play "pretty consistently" at first base moving forward:

"He's locking down kind of the lion's share of at-bats over there." pic.twitter.com/Q8zjS0Xdyy

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 27, 2026

Green mentioned in his pregame availability on Saturday that lefty Jared Young will see a "lion's share" of the at-bats at first base going forward (h/t SNY Mets on Twitter), which would relegate Vientos to DH duties. Not to mention, veteran Jorge Polanco started a rehab assignment in Triple-A Syracuse, and he will need to exclusively DH when he returns from his injury. There is nowhere for Vientos to play, and it could signal the end of his Mets career.

2. 1B/OF Eric Wagaman

It has been a short stint for Wagaman in Queens, but it has been an effective run against left-handed pitching. The Mets brought up the veteran righty bat to try to combat some issues they were facing against left-handed pitching, and Wagaman has been effective in that role. He is 5-17 against left-handed pitching (.294 average) with a pair of homers, which his .761 career OPS backs up against southpaws.

New York Mets designated hitter Eric Wagaman (39) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning at Citi Field. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Mets could use this roster spot on Nick Morabito if/when Wagaman is traded, and considering he has no future with the organization, the Mets might not be inclined to wait until the deadline to move him. He likely would not net much, considering his minimal but effective skill set. Still, the Mets should be embracing youth, and Morabito deserves an extended run in this roster spot.

1. RP Brooks Raley

Raley could be the best left-handed leverage reliever available on the market next month, which could lead to an interesting prospect return for the Mets when he is traded. Raley and teammate AJ Minter have been a tremendous duo in the back-end of the Mets' bullpen, and should be the best two lefty relievers available. Considering Minter is still in the final stages of returning from injury, Raley might be a safer bet for buying deadline teams.

New York Mets relief pitcher Brooks Raley (25) throws a pitch during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. | David Frerker-Imagn Images

Raley is no longer a fit for the Mets' timeline, but has still been an incredible piece for them over the past five years. He sat in free agency for a while after his Tommy John procedure, but has been a tremendous and reliable piece of their relief puzzle for some time now. He enters play on Sunday with a 2.40 ERA, just a smidge below his 2.45 ERA for his Mets career. A dependable, stable, and effective veteran reliever is the dream of any contending team.