There is hardly anything left for the New York Mets to salvage this season. They have been bad right from the beginning and are currently the second-worst team in the NL. With a 43-61 record, the Mets are 12 games out of an NL Wild Card spot. Hence, a dismantling of their $328 million roster during the upcoming trade deadline will surprise no one. General manager David Stearns, who faced the heat for the Mets’ failure, addressed the situation on Friday.

“This season didn’t go as we anticipated. It’s extremely disappointing. I’m extremely disappointed that we are in this situation,” said a dejected Stearns, per SNY Mets, before the team began its homestand at Citi Field. “But I’m also very aware we are in this situation. It’s my job to do what’s in the best interest of the organization right now.”

With their standing in the league already dire, the Mets began their ten-game homestand with a 4-2 loss against the Dodgers. It dropped them below the San Francisco Giants at the bottom of the NL. Only the league-worst Colorado Rockies (42-63) hold a worse record than the Queens team.  

Thus, a sell-off is likely the most logical step for the Mets to take next. The Mets’ playoff hopes dissipated further as Juan Soto, their only impactful hitter, has a potential IL stint ahead of him. He exited Friday’s game early in the sixth inning due to his lingering left calf soreness. However, team owner Steve Cohen has already given Stearns a directive moving forward.

“We’ve been very clear, Steve’s been very clear that we expect to compete in 2027. We have to keep that in mind,” Stearns told the reporters, per SNY Mets. “We also have to make moves that we believe are right for the organization.”

Team building for the 2027 season can start early before the August 3 trade deadline. The Mets’ roster overhaul before the 2026 season did not pay off as Stearns or Cohen expected. Despite signing stars with hefty paychecks, like Bo Bichette for 3 years, $126 million, they failed to make an impact on the field. So, the Mets are reportedly not shielding many from the trade block, expiring contract or not.

According to insiders, they are willing to listen on anybody for the right price, except for Juan Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Nolan McLean, and Christian Scott.

“They have to listen on everyone else. Yes, I said everyone else, including Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Freddy Peralta, Sean Manaea, Brett Baty, Tyrone Taylor and their entire bullpen,” per insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

While Peralta, Polanco, and Taylor are in their walk years, the same cannot be said about others. A possible Francisco Lindor trade has caused a stir among the fans.

However, trading Lindor will not be easy for the Mets as he is under a ten-year, $341 million contract. Any team acquiring the shortstop will also have to bear his salary. Moreover, his defensive blunders and struggles at the plate may affect his value on the trade market.

With Lindor bringing a veteran presence inside the clubhouse and his contributions to the team in the previous seasons, the Mets may not trade him at all despite the rumors. At least Stearns’ reply on the matter suggests so.

“I’m not going to rule out or in any specific player on anything,” Stearns told The New York Post. “I don’t think that’s wise for me to do. What I will say is, we’ve got a group of young players, and we’ve got some potential Hall of Famers, future Hall of Famers, that we view as our core. We expect them to be our core.”

Stearns will get another chance at roster building for the 2027 season. This time, he must tread carefully.