Insider Says Mets Unlikely to Trade Pair of Stars if in Wild Card Position

SNY's baseball insider Andy Martino believes it's highly unlikely that the Mets will ship out these two stars at the trade deadline if they're in a Wild Card spot.

Jun 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) is greeted in the dugout after scoring in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the initial belief that the red-hot New York Mets could be both buyers and sellers at the trade deadline, this baseball insider says not so fast.

According to SNY's Andy Martino, the idea that the Mets could deal first baseman Pete Alonso and/or righty starter Luis Severino while adding bullpen help "is almost impossible to imagine" if the team is in a Wild Card spot by the end of July.

"If the team is sitting in a wild card spot, or is very close to one at the end of July, don’t expect to see Severino or Alonso moved for prospects," Martino wrote.

Recent reports have indicated that the Mets could send Severino to a contender to net a few prospects in return because they're projected to get ace Kodai Senga back from the IL after the All-Star break, and are also close to calling top prospect starter Christian Scott back up to the major leagues. But now it seems like they intend on hanging onto Severino barring a dive in the standings.

Severino, Sean Manaea (player option in 2025) and Jose Quintana could all become free agents after the season. But the Mets will still likely hold on to their veteran arms should they continue to push for a Wild Card berth in a weaker NL race.

As for Alonso, he is the Mets' homegrown star that is expected to hit the open market after the 2024 season. If the Mets were to trade him as a rental, it's unlikely that they'd receive a return big enough to justify shipping out a franchise cornerstone, who they're hoping to retain on a long-term deal in the offseason.

The Mets are 40-41, but have gone 18-8 in their last 26 games to pull within two games of the final Wild Card spot and 2.5 games back of the second position. If they keep up this play across the next 29 days, they're unlikely to sell.