With the 2026 MLB trade deadline less than a week away, the New York Mets are expected to be major sellers amid their disastrous season.
Despite moving on from Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Díaz and Jeff McNeil in the offseason, expectations were still high in Queens given the talent that the Mets had on their roster.
But things haven't gone as planned this year and the Mets are now expected to look a lot different after the August 3 deadline.
While Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor, Luis Robert Jr., Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley and Huascar Brazobán are the most likely players to be traded, Francisco Lindor's name continues to swirl in trade rumors.
Lindor has been in the midst of a lost, injury-riddled season, leaving his future with the Mets in question. Though Lindor is not expected to be traded at the deadline, the All-Star shortstop could be on the move in the offseason.
During an appearance on the Foul Territory podcast on Wednesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports reported that the Mets would "love to move Lindor at some point."
"They would love to move Lindor at some point; they don't think they can do it now because of the money, because it's so complicated...if Lindor is moved, it would more be in the offseason where teams can figure out their payroll and everything else," Nightengale said.
Lindor is in his sixth season with the Mets and still has five years and close to $170 million left on a 10-year, $341 million contract he signed prior to the start of the 2021 season. Lindor's contract has a full no-trade clause, meaning he has the power to veto any trade.
Although Lindor has had a great career in New York to this point, which includes an All-Star appearance and a second-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2024, his 2026 campaign has been a struggle.
After last season, the five-time All-Star underwent a right elbow debridement procedure and then missed nearly all of spring training after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone. He also missed over two months of this season due to a calf strain. Through 51 games this season, Lindor is slashing .231/.321/.421 with eight home runs, 23 RBI and an OPS of .742.
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Lindor has also had a very uncharacteristic season with the glove, committing six errors after only committing 13 all of last year.
Moving on from Lindor would be a bold decision for the Mets to make, but it seems like a possibility, given his down season in 2026.
