Back in March, few outside the Mets’ clubhouse expected their rotation to be anything more than average. When Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas went down with muscle strains before Opening Day, the outlook turned bleak. The Mets weren’t just missing innings; they were missing anchors. What happened next flipped that narrative entirely. Rather than unravel, the rotation became one of the most dominant forces in baseball, leading the league in ERA through the first stretch of the season.

One of the replacements, Griffin Canning, quietly signed in the offseason and was largely written off after years of inconsistency, has become a key part of that success. He wasn’t supposed to be the hero. But now, with 31 innings of sub-3.00 ERA ball under his belt, he’s not just holding his own—he’s thriving. And ironically, that may make him the first man out.

“As the impending free agent of the bunch, Canning is surely the lowest hanging fruit,” MLB insider Kerry Miller wrote. “He has been excellent thus far, but he had a 4.78 ERA over the previous six seasons with the Angels. He’ll likely hit the trade block as soon as either Manaea or Montas is back.”

Canning’s resurgence has been one of the better stories in Flushing this year. But sentimentality rarely factors into trade deadline calculus. He’s on a one-year, $4.25 million deal. He’s pitching better than ever. And he has just enough red flags in his track record for the Mets to feel confident selling high.

More importantly, reinforcements are coming. Paul Blackburn is nearly ready. Manaea and Montas are on track for June returns. That means the current rotation—Canning included—will soon become a numbers game. And when there are too many starters for five spots, the one without a long-term role usually becomes trade bait.

Could the Mets keep him as insurance? Sure. But with holes in center field and at DH, the front office may see more value in flipping Canning for a bat than stashing him in the bullpen. His recent performance gives them leverage. His contract makes him movable. And contenders always need arms—especially ones pitching like this.

So while Canning’s revival has helped power the Mets to one of baseball’s best records, it may also be his ticket out. Because in this game, timing is everything, and right now, his value might never be higher.

Teams that might be eyeing the Mets’ hidden gem as their pitching savior

Griffin Canning isn’t just available; he’s attainable and trending up. That combination makes him one of the most logical deadline targets for any contender needing immediate help without mortgaging the farm. For Milwaukee, he’d slot in as a stabilizer amidst a wounded rotation, bringing playoff experience and 2025 success (2.61 ERA over 31 IP) at less than 5 million. With Brandon Woodruff still sidelined, Aaron Civale in rehab mode, and depth stretched thin, the Brewers can’t afford to wait for internal solutions to heal. Canning is exactly the type of under-the-radar fix that could keep them in the NL Central race without breaking their budget or system.

But Milwaukee won’t be alone. The Orioles are scouring the market for innings, and their rotation—aside from Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez—has been wildly inconsistent. Meanwhile, the Red Sox, still fighting to stay alive in the AL Wild Card mix, have bullpen injuries and shaky back-end starters like Patrick Sandoval. Even the Guardians, despite a surprising first-half surge, lack proven depth behind Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. All it takes is one of those clubs to get aggressive, and the Brewers could find themselves in a bidding war they didn’t anticipate. That’s why waiting may be the real enemy, because Canning might not be a secret much longer.

So what would it take for the Mets to part with Canning? Not a king’s ransom, but definitely more than a fringe prospect. Given his current form, contract status, and the growing interest from pitching-hungry teams, New York could realistically ask for a top-15 organizational prospect or a big-league-ready bat. A team like Milwaukee might dangle a controllable outfielder or high-upside Double-A arm, while Baltimore and Boston have the prospect depth to outbid almost anyone if they decide Canning is their guy.

For Mets president David Stearns, this is the perfect opportunity to leverage short-term surplus into long-term value. And with his phone already buzzing, that value could rise by the day.