Shades of 2023 – New York Mets’ Present Form Could Trigger Another Massive Sell-off Says a Top Insider

With a 27-35 record, the New York Mets are currently 17 games behind the division leaders. It’s quite a stunning development for a team with over $300 million in payroll. But then, it doesn’t surprise, does it? After all, last season, the Mets put forth the most expensive team in baseball history, only to get 75 wins. That generated a huge sell-off, with the likes of Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander packing their bags. But that was last year; could 2024 look similar with names like Pete Alonso?

It can, at least according to New York Post’s Jon Heyman. As the deadline day nears, the continuous fall of the Mets has given hope to multiple GMs. It isn’t out of the ordinary, as even after a bad season, the Mets are filled with top-tier talents. The team’s performance is due to sheer bad luck. That can be explained by the fact that they’ve lost six games where they led entering the ninth inning. 

So with losses mounting and playoffs looking more and more unlikely, there’s a chance that we might see another sell-off soon. With players like Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, J.D. Martinez, and Harrison Bader, among others available, the Mets have a wealth of talent to offer. And as Heyman said, “GMs are said to be especially interested in what the Mets do.” But more than performance, there’s another reason why a sell-off could be in store.

Despite trading away much of their team last season, the Metsies’ payroll remained as ballooned as ever. Now, one agrees that Steve Cohen has deep pockets (perhaps the deepest of them all), but even he wouldn’t want to pay 110% tax on every move. On top of that, next season brings two massive free agents that the Mets are reportedly after. First, it’s their golden boy, Pete Alonso, and second, Juan Soto.  As a result, lowering their costs and rebuilding time right now seems like a logical move. But that brings another question: will they be able to compete against the New York Yankees for Soto?

How New York Mets’ uncertain future could affect the Juan Soto signing 

Here’s an uneasy picture for Mets fans: The Kings of the Queens have a 27-35 record, and their cross-town rivals, the Bronx Bombers, are on top of the MLB with a 45-19 record. One season can’t fill that big of a gap, especially when both teams’ payrolls are almost similar. Could this lack of proper direction and foundation affect the Mets’ chances of landing Soto?

Yes, one can expect Steve Cohen to push the price of Soto as much as possible. But the Yankees, too, have just as deep pockets, and they’re currently more successful. While Scott Boras likes big-money deals, the Bronx Bombers can give him a deal just as big as the Mets can. Perhaps that’s why trades are important—a rebuild done correctly right now can give the Mets a better project to sell. And maybe that’s the one thing they need right now.