Who the Mets might be able to trade before the deadline: Expiring contracts

Having suffered another miserable loss last night in Toronto, the Mets seem intent on making it crystal clear that they will not be making a miraculous comeback in the standings this year. At 33-49 on the season, they’re just a half-game ahead of the Marlins for the worst record in the National League. There is no doubt that the Mets should be looking to sell as they move toward the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. With that, let’s run down the team’s roster for some players who could be dealt to contending teams, beginning with the players whose contracts expire at the end of this season.

The Mets have seven players such players on their active roster, two of whom can’t be viewed as trade chips at all. A.J. Ramos, who earned $9.225 million this year after the team traded for him last August, underwent season-ending surgery and hadn’t pitched well before then. And Jose Reyes is sitting on a fantastic .179/.256/.245 line with a 41 wRC+ and -0.9 fWAR, which should not have any appeal to a contending team.

But the other five guys in this group could make sense for contending teams. Asdrubal Cabrera is having another very good year, as he has a .281/.330/.489 line with 15 home runs and a 124 wRC+. He’s not an asset in the field, but he’s hitting well enough that he could definitely help another team. As a bit of a bonus, he’s only earning $8.25 million this year, which should give the Mets the ability to absorb salary to get a better return—if they’re willing to do that.

Devin Mesoraco and Jose Bautista were both acquired on the cheap by the Mets early in the season, and they’ve both been pleasant surprises. After a miserable start to his major league season with the Braves, Bautista is up to a 129 wRC+ on the season thanks to his .256/.435/.477 line and 153 wRC+ with the Mets since they picked him up. Whether or not the team would trade Mesoraco is a separate question, but he’s hit seven home runs in 125 plate appearances with the Mets and has a 114 wRC+ since joining the team.

Jeruys Familia is set to hit free agency after this season. He hasn’t been his best self, as he’s missed some time with shoulder issues and has a 3.38 ERA, but the strikeout, walk, and home run rates look a lot like the effective Familia of old. That’s not to say he’s necessarily that good now, but teams looking to make the playoffs or strengthen their roster to go deeper into the postseason are typically looking for at least one relief pitcher.

Last but not least, Jerry Blevins is in the final year of his contract. After excellent seasons with the Mets leading up to this one, though, he has been bad this year. He’s left-handed, which always helps, but other teams will have to weigh whether this year’s performance is who he is now or if it’s just been some weird baseball stuff and he could return to form.