Currently sitting at the bottom of the NL East, the New York Mets’ postseason chances appear bleak. With the trade deadline approaching, they have little choice but to become sellers and hope history doesn’t repeat itself in 2027. That brings us to the next question: Who are they looking to trade? Back in the offseason, David Stearns chose to look past Luis Robert Jr.’s injury history when acquiring him and taking on his sizable contract. The move has since come back to haunt the Mets, as Robert Jr. has endured a forgettable season. Now, insider chatter suggests the Cuban center fielder could be the next player on the move.

“The Mets made the brutal mistake of believing that CF Luis Robert would stay healthy, assuming his entire $20M contract from the White Sox, and now are desperate to dump him,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today observed, per Sleeper MLB on X.

Robert Jr. was under a six-year, $50 million contract with the White Sox. When the Mets acquired him, they inherited the remainder of his deal that featured a $20 million base salary for this season, alongside a $20 million club option for 2027. His contract also has a $2 million buyout option. This is the burden the Mets don’t want to bear for the rest of a season in which their playoff hopes are almost non-existent. The Mets (44-62) are 11 games away from the final NL Wild Card spot.

The club made a gamble when they signed Robert Jr., who had his last impactful season in 2023 (38 homers and .857 OPS). This season, suffering from a lumbar disc herniation, Robert Jr. missed almost three months of playing time before the Mets activated him from the IL on July 20. Following his return to the lineup, the CF is slashing .210/.319/.360 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 30 games.

Robert Jr. is recently getting more action at the plate, having hit 2 of his four homers in the last six games he played in July. If the 28-year-old gets on a hot streak, the Mets would use it to showcase his value to other contending teams in the league.

The Mets are unlikely to exercise Luis’ club option for next season, which means he could leave for nothing after this season. Hence, the Mets are actively trying to trade him to a franchise desperate for a right-handed bat. But his next team will have to bear the $5.9 million salary he is owed. This might be enough for teams to steer away from any potential deal.

While that’s that, one club that has been urged to go for the trade is the Detroit Tigers.

“The Mets would have to pay down his salary to make a deal work, but the upside Robert offers is significant. The Tigers really struggle against left-handed pitching, and Robert has always hit lefties extremely well. And the talent is evident,” Jim Bowden of The Athletic emphasized.

With the August 3 trade deadline fast approaching, the Mets’ front office needs to act fast. As the Mets progress toward an inevitable sell-off, Freddy Peralta has acknowledged his time in Queens may have come to an end.

Freddy Peralta on trade rumors

Against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, Freddy Peralta took the mound to help the Mets avoid a series sweep. Peralta has been struggling to go deep all season, but this game was different. He threw 93 pitches in four innings. Though he started strong at first, Peralta unraveled in the top of the third.

By the time he was finally pulled, Peralta surrendered 3 runs on 6 hits and two walks while striking out three. He has posted a 4.99 ERA this season. Following Sunday’s 8-3 victory, the reporters asked him whether he knew it might have been Peralta’s last start for the Mets.

“I know it probably is,” Peralta told the media, per The Athletic. “I have to focus and keep giving the best of myself. If it happens, it happens. I’m thankful and grateful to be part of this organization. I know so far I’ve let them down. I haven’t done what I was supposed to do.”

The Mets signed Peralta as their ace in the hopes of stabilizing the frontline rotation. However, the right-hander has disappointed as he failed to go deep in 2026. Across his five starts in July, he was mostly limited to 4 innings, going five innings only once. Peralta is highly aware of his underperformance this season and appears to be ready for a trade.