What the Mets Got Right (and Wrong) at the Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, what can Mets fans look forward to? 49 games remain; the Mets are 19 games under .500. Obviously, playoff baseball isn't in the cards. On Monday, the Mets finished up their fire sale, trading away eight pieces over the last several weeks, starting with David Peterson to the Cubs and ending with Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor joining their former teammate in Chicago.

The Mets added nine prospects who have slotted into the organization's top 30 on MLB Pipeline, with the new addition, Jefferson Rojas, ranked No. 63 in baseball. However, David Stearns shouldn't be fully in the clear for what went down during the 2026 trade deadline. Still, while several things went right, others went wrong.

Here are three things that the Mets got right and three things that they didn't got wrong.

Right: Trading Clay Holmes

Holmes stood out as one of the most controversial pieces the Mets had to offer contenders, with many wanting the former Yankee to sign an extension in Queens to remain part of their rotation. In early July, Holmes expressed his interest in potentially signing a midseason extension with the Mets, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. Chelsea Janes of SNY would later report on July 17 that the two sides were expected to begin extension talks in the following days. Clearly, it never worked out.

The Mets and Clay Holmes expect to begin potential extension talks in the coming days, says @chelsea_janes

Chelsea is joined by @mmargaux8 to answer your questions on Mets Mailbag pic.twitter.com/utVRGiIElW
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 17, 2026

Yes, Holmes is a very solid middle-rotation arm capable of suiting one of the Mets' biggest needs in 2027. But was it worth hanging onto him when the market was clearly looking to pry away starting pitching?

Before his freak accident against the Yankees in mid-May, Holmes was considered an "elite" starting pitcher, holding a 2.39 ERA through nine starts with a 1.10 WHIP, limiting opposing batters to a .206 batting average. For Chicago, they add Holmes to a rotation looking to make a mark in the National League playoffs, already manned by Edward Cabrera, Shota Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd.

The Mets walked out of their deal with the Cubs as winners, adding the top-100 prospect fans desperately wanted. What put the icing on the cake was the Mets also including fourth-outfield option Tyrone Taylor, who's set to become a free agent following the 2026 season. Instantly, Jefferson Rojas slots in as the Mets' No. 1 prospect and the No. 63 prospect in baseball, giving them a potential long-term answer to their third-base question.

Get to know Mets newest prospect Jefferson Rojas:

- this is a BIG get for the Mets, the No. 63 prospect in baseball.

- 21-years-old, balanced overall with a strong arm, capable of playing 3B.

- .271 BA with a .800 OPS and a .339 OBP in 91 games. pic.twitter.com/Y8W7wSSSn6
— Jason Petrucci (@Jpet_7) August 3, 2026

Wrong: Were the packages for relievers under control enough?

Stearns made his most head-scratching moves between the packages received for their relievers under control and those on expiring contracts.

One of the biggest head-scratchers involves Brooks Raley, who, yes, is 38 and on an expiring contract, but still serves as a premier lefty option in any bullpen. The Mets would land the Phillies' No. 27 prospect, John Spikerman, along with unranked pitcher Luke Gabrysh, completely dispelling any myths about overpaying in inter-division trades.

However, the Mets also parted ways with Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban, both of whom hold control in 2027. Yes, the team netted a decent return for Weaver, adding Pirates' No. 9 prospect Sammy Stafura, but was that enough to move the elite righty?

Weaver has been one of the league's best high-leverage arms this season, not to mention he's only making $12 million next season, which somehow the Mets still needed to pay down to receive a ninth-ranked prospect. The Mets also agreed to pay the remaining $2 million on his contract this year and half of it next year, a questionable decision for a reliever holding a 1.84 ERA through 42 outings.

Right: Return package for Freddy Peralta

The most surprising part of the deadline was the Mets' ability to land three top-30 prospects from the Rays' system in exchange for Freddy Peralta; call it a miracle.

Peralta joined Queens during the offseason when the Mets sent two top-100 prospects to the Brewers in exchange for one season of the veteran pitcher and Tobias Myers. In 22 starts this season, the 30-year-old posted a 4.99 ERA and 1.48 WHIP. However, this was still enough for the Mets to land a decent prospect return.

FULL TRADE DETAILS:

Mets receive:
OF Aidan Smith (No. 15)
2B Emilien Pitre (No. 27)
SP Gary Gill Hill (No. 26)

Rays receive:
Freddy Peralta, SP

THOUGHTS 🤔⁉️ pic.twitter.com/1Z0PTZCA3V
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) August 2, 2026

For starters, Émilien Pitre stands out as one of the most intriguing prospects acquired at the deadline, holding high upside as a second baseman, batting .323 through 37 games with a .943 OPS, giving the Mets another potential second baseman option for the future.

While Aidan Smith has yet to show it in his production, the tools are definitely there for the 2023 fourth-round pick to succeed. He is known for his highly touted defense and speed in the outfield. Lastly, the Mets also received pitching prospect Gary Gill Hill, who Stearns believes could crack the Mets' 2027 pitching plans and who is showing promise at age 21.

Wrong: Not moving Luis Robert

The decision to keep Robert was surprising, as many reported that the Mets would likely move him before the deadline. Instead, the former White Sox outfielder will now clog up a spot in the outfield, giving the Mets no choice but to play him.

When speaking with the media on Monday evening, Stearns expressed optimism about keeping him with the team for the remainder of the season.

"It's the possibility of what he can do for us in the second half," said Stearns when asked about the Mets keeping Luis Robert Jr. (h/t Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). "The understanding that there's a club option, and the excitement of still having him here for the next two months of the season."

The Mets will be set to pay the struggling center fielder $2 million to finish the season, while holding a club option and the chance for a qualifying offer. Yes, that sounds like "nothing," but the Mets could've used his roster spot on a prospect like Nick Morabito, who could improve his game at the major league level by playing every day.

Robert likely had a market, but the Mets were unwilling to pay the remaining $2 million on his contract this season, which is weird, especially after paying off part of Weaver's.

Right: Staying put at the catcher position

The catcher market was most definitely the most expensive at this year's trade deadline. For starters, the Red Sox parted ways with three of their top prospects to acquire former No. 2 overall prospect Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. Instead of breaking up their solid catching duo, the Mets decide to keep Francisco Álvarez and Luis Torrens.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez looks on during a game against the Atlanta Braves. — The New York Mets decided to keep catcher Francisco Alvarez past the trade deadline despite a flurry of catchers being moved. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Many complain about Alvarez, but what's the point? It's very hard to find a cheap, young catcher with multiple years of control.

Alvarez is only 24 and has shown in the past that he can produce offensively. However, his career has been plagued by injuries, making many believe he will never reach his potential. This season, Alvarez holds a .781 OPS, eighth-best among all catchers in the MLB.

As for Torrens, his primary focus is on providing elite defense, holding a +9 defensive run value, tied for the third-best in baseball with Rustchman. Holding on to both catchers shows that the Mets still want to compete in 2027, prioritizing a position that will likely be impossible to replace their current production.

Wrong: Being in the position to sell

It's a no-brainer: a team with a $359 million payroll should not be trading away eight players at the deadline. Stearns failed the Mets, especially after spending the offseason attempting to transition players to entirely new positions. Looking at the newly acquired players this offseason, none of them on the current roster have actually made a positive impact, with Jorge Polanco likely going down as one of the worst signings in Mets history.

The decision to replace Pete Alonso with Polanco has been detrimental, with the former Mariner posting a .131 BA through 29 games, a .387 OPS, and -1.3 WAR, tied for the worst in baseball over such a short span.

That's beside the point; the Mets having to sell off at the deadline is not only a bad look for the organization but also for the future of baseball. While many argue the Dodgers are ruining the sport, you can easily look at the Steve Cohen-run Mets and say that they're spending the same amount of money and still failing, which makes the whole point of teams with ludicrous payrolls silly.

Jorge Polanco is the worst mets signing since ___? pic.twitter.com/UNS9jbI1L2
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) August 1, 2026

The Mets will enter this upcoming offseason with their backs completely against the wall. Their entire bullpen is depleted, and they'll be searching for an "ace" pitcher, along with several other position players who can hopefully clean up the mess left by Stearns' blueprint.

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