Ranking Recently Traded Mets & Their Chances to Return This Offseason

The New York Mets had some significant roster turnover during the summer as a result of a very active trade deadline. The returns David Stearns got were a big boost to the Mets' farm system, but they created some holes Stearns will need to fill over the winter.

One intriguing route the Mets could pursue is reuniting with some of the players they traded. A deadline deal usually marks the end of a relationship between a player and his former club, but offseason reunions aren't uncommon. For example, Aroldis Chapman was famously traded to the Chicago Cubs at the 2016 deadline before returning to the New York Yankees in the offseason.

The Mets employed this tactic in 2017, trading Jay Bruce at the deadline during a fire sale before re-signing him to a three-year deal that winter. Bruce ended up playing one more year in Queens before getting moved for good in the Robinson Cano trade, but it isn't entirely unprecedented for the Mets to explore this if the fit makes sense.

Huascar Brazoban and Luke Weaver had club control remaining when they were dealt, so they are not eligible for this exercise unless the Mets decide to trade for them again, which seems highly unlikely. In the meantime, let's rank the seven Mets who departed in the second half and the likelihood of rejoining them for the 2027 campaign.

7. OF Luis Robert Jr.

The Mets didn't actually move Robert at the deadline but used him regularly in center field and the outfield corners in August. Things abruptly changed when the Mets placed Robert on waivers, allowing the Baltimore Orioles to claim him for September to get off the hook for the remainder of his 2026 season salary and the buyout of his final option year.

While there is a theoretical fit for the Mets to have Robert as their fourth outfielder, Stearns clearly doesn't think he's worth roughly $7 million, so it's hard to see the Mets ponying up big money to get him back. The smart play for Robert is to go elsewhere where he can play every day.

6. LHP David Peterson

Peterson was the first Met out the door in late June, getting dealt to the Chicago Cubs in the final week of the month. Peterson had some serious highs in New York, including an All-Star appearance in 2025, but 2026 saw him struggle with consistency throughout the early months of the campaign.

Things improved a bit for Peterson after being traded to Chicago. He was 6-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 16 appearances (including 15 starts), but the Mets need more certainty from their offseason pickups. Peterson will likely need a one-year deal somewhere to resurrect his career, and it won't come from the Mets.

5. LHP A.J. Minter

The Mets appear to have made the right call cashing out on their relievers at the deadline, as none of them had tremendous success in their new homes. Minter probably fared the best of the bunch, posting a 2.78 ERA in 25 appearances for the Minnesota Twins. But those innings ended up being irrelevant as the Twins faded from the playoff picture quickly.

Stearns unquestionably will want to find another lefty for the bullpen, so the fit is there for a reunion with Minter. However, Minter's overall strong numbers will likely help him land a multi-year deal at a higher rate than Stearns is willing to pay, given relievers' volatility.

4. RHP Freddy Peralta

Much has been made about Peralta's success in Tampa Bay, which he didn't have in New York. But this topic became more interesting when Mets owner Steve Cohen flew to Tampa on Tuesday to watch Peralta start Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Peralta seemed touched by the idea that Cohen came down to the game and noted that he developed a strong relationship with the Mets owner during his time in Queens.

Steve Cohen was in attendance for Freddy Peralta’s ALCS Game 2 start.

Peralta on Cohen: “I don’t even know what to say because I don’t know if he came to watch just the game or maybe me, too. What I can say is that we have a good relationship. When he traded for me, he texted… pic.twitter.com/XUBce3w5D4
— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) October 14, 2026

The Mets have a need for rotation help this offseason, and Peralta's down season could leave him in play for a one-year deal to rebuild his value. Stearns likes Peralta enough to trade for him, so there is a chance the sides could reunite if Peralta's market stays flat. That said, it feels more likely Stearns goes in a different direction for rotation help.

3. RHP Clay Holmes

This idea is an interesting one since Holmes was open to the idea of extending with the Mets before getting dealt to the Cubs at the deadline. Stearns deemed the value the Mets extracted from Chicago for trading Holmes to be more valuable than keeping him around, which may prove prescient if Jefferson Rojas becomes a star in Flushing.

Putting Holmes back in the middle of the Mets' rotation would be a great move, especially if the Mets can pair him with an ace like Tarik Skubal or Joe Ryan at the top. The question, however, would be whether Holmes feels burned that the Mets didn't even entertain an extension before shopping him, which could entice Holmes to take a similar offer with another team.

2. OF Tyrone Taylor

Part of the reason the Mets got Rojas from the Cubs was Taylor's inclusion in the trade, allowing Chicago to do one-stop shopping at the deadline. Taylor's heater against left-handed pitching in July was well-timed, letting the Mets sell high on him before he hit free agency.

The Mets still need to add a right-handed-hitting outfielder since Nick Morabito didn't look ready to take that role in his September audition, making a reunion with Taylor logical. Taylor is unlikely to land a starting role anywhere else this winter, which could make him more amenable to returning to New York. He would give the Mets some at-bats against tough lefties while getting center field work to occasionally spell A.J. Ewing.

1. LHP Brooks Raley

Of all the players who left the Mets in August, Raley seemed the most disappointed to leave Flushing. That disappointment may explain his poor form with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he pitched to a 7.94 ERA in 16 appearances and was left off the Phillies' postseason roster.

Raley comes with an age-related risk. He turns 39 in July, but he has shown a strong track record of getting tough lefties out and pitching well in New York. Stearns has hinted he will be more cognizant of pursuing players who can succeed in the New York market, making a one-year deal with Raley a smart play for a bullpen that needs to add a few veteran relievers capable of getting big outs in the late innings.

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