MLB GMs' Believe Mets Will Make Their Superstar Sluggers Available at Trade Deadline

The growing belief around the league is that the New York Mets will be willing to deal both of their superstar sluggers at the trade deadline.

May 3, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) is / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are in a major rut, which is giving fans déjà vu after an abysmal season in 2023.

The Mets did make it clear that 2024 was going to be a transition year, but after a solid start to the campaign there was some hope that they could possibly contend for one of the three Wild Card spots in the National League.

But after going 4-2 against the high-powered Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers back in April, the Mets have fallen on hard times. They have lost seven of their last 10 games, going 3-7 against the Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and lowly Miami Marlins, who are all NL East division opponents.

This poor stretch has created some buzz as of late that the Mets will be forced to sell at the trade deadline for the second straight season, which is why the chatter amongst MLB general managers is that both first baseman Pete Alonso and DH J.D. Martinez will be available on the trade market later this summer.

"According to USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, MLB general managers "remain convinced the Mets will still make first baseman Pete Alonso and DH J.D. Martinez available in talks."

Alonso, of course, is playing in a walk-year and has not had the best start to his season, despite the fact that his bat appears to be coming around a bit in the past 15 games (.250/.297/.467). That being said, he is not getting on-base at a high enough clip as a middle of the order bat. But on the bright side, the 29-year-old is already at 10 home runs on the year, so he is on pace to match or come close to his usual 40-homer total per season.

Should the Mets trade Pete Alonso if they're .500 at the deadline? #MLBNowShowdown | @Joelsherman1 pic.twitter.com/CE8UiVovyL

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Alonso had a career-worst .217 batting average in 2023, and is hitting just .229 with a .758 OPS in 46 games this season. The Mets need more from Alonso, and if he doesn't heat up, the team won't be going anywhere this year. And with a down season, Alonso's chances of signing with the Mets long-term could grow slimmer. That is why executives around the league believe he will be available at the trade deadline because it will allow the Mets to retool their farm system by getting a package of prospects in return for their franchise cornerstone.

As for Martinez, the Mets signed him to a one-year, $12 million deal at the tail end of Spring Training. Although he cannot play the field, Martinez's value is as an impact bat on offense, who can rake at a consistent level.

Despite the fact that he is turning 37 in August, Martinez hasn't missed a beat coming off the sixth All-Star campaign of his career with the Dodgers last season. This year, he is slashing .315/.359/.466 with a .825 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs for the Mets in 21 games.

Should the Mets, who are in a transition year, not be able to turn things around, the best long-term plan would be to trade Alonso and Martinez even though they're both rentals, so the return likely won't be humongous for New York. Time will tell whether they can climb back into the playoff race, as there is a long way to go in the season, but team owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns are going to do what is best for the Mets' future, so that could mean dealing their two best hitters to land some top prospects.