The most interesting part of the rest of the Mets season? The minor leagues

The Mets roster teardown is complete, giving the Mets a new top prospect in their system

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets were off on Monday - they open a three-game series with the Guardians tonight in Cleveland

• The Mets traded away six players on Monday ahead of the trading deadline, completing their long-awaited roster teardown

• David Stearns touched on why New York did not trade away OF Luis Robert Jr. (MLB)

• Stearns revealed the Mets did try to add controllable starting pitching but could not complete a deal (MLB)

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Roster Moves 📰

• RHP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor traded to the Cubs (Story)

• RHP Luke Weaver traded to the Pirates (Story)

• LHP Brooks Raley traded to the Phillies (Story)

• RHP Huascar Brazoban traded to the White Sox (Story)

• C Ben Rortvedt traded to the Dodgers (MLB)

• RHP Dedniel Nunez activated from Triple-A Syracuse

• LHP Jefry Yan activated from Triple-A Syracuse

• LHP Nate Lavender activated from Triple-A Syracuse

• RHP Chayse McDermott activated from Triple-A Syracuse

• RHP Xzavion Curry activated from Triple-A Syracuse

• OF Cristian Pache activated from Triple-A Syracuse

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David Stearns’ Post-Trade Deadline Press Conference 📺

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The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Andrew and Rich broke down the roster teardown ahead of the trade deadline, reacted to each move, and discussed the Mets retaining Luis Robert Jr.

SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday

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Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (47-66) vs. Guardians (57-56)

Where: Progressive Field - Cleveland, OH

Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (2-5, 4.42 ERA) vs. LHP Joey Cantillo (8-6, 3.88 ERA)

When: 6:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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All eyes now turn to…the minor leagues! ✍🏻

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Six o’clock on Monday night essentially closed the lid in terms of legitimate interest in the 2026 Mets season. At least at the Major League level.

For months at this point, we’ve all known this was coming. After the disaster that was this season’s first half on the field, there was not a way forward for the Mets that did not include trading away several of their assets to hopefully secure talent for a near-future reset.

There was some question as to whether or not the team would deal relievers Luke Weaver and/or Huascar Brazoban, both of whom were under team control for next season, but both were ultimately included in what will go down as one of the largest selloffs in Mets history.

At the Major League level, the final two months of the season are really about just two things in my opinion.

Continued development of both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing as long-term organizational centerpieces.

And assessing whether or not the trio of Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton can be counted on to be 60% of the team’s starting rotation in 2027.

Admittedly, though, while the big-league team is just playing out the string, the Mets minor league system has certainly gotten much more interesting.

The highlight of the team’s fire sale was quite clearly the addition of infielder Jefferson Rojas. Easily a consensus top 100 Major League prospect, the 21-year-old is now immediately considered the best prospect in New York’s organization.

In 91 games this season for the Cubs Double-A affiliate in Knoxville, Rojas slashed .270/.339/.461 with 15 homers, 57 RBI, 19 doubles, and 17 stolen bases. He’s played the majority of his games this season at third base, while still starting at short 26 times. He’s also logged significant experience at second base during his minor league career.

Rojas will report to Double-A Binghamton for the Mets, and the Rumble Ponies are suddenly becoming must-see TV.

Last year’s first-round pick, Mitch Voit, was recently promoted from Brooklyn to Binghamton and is coming off a four-hit, five-RBI game on Sunday.

Corner infielder Billy Amick, acquired from the Twins for A.J. Minter a couple of days ago, is already in Binghamton and blasted his 24th minor league home run of the season in one of his first games with his new organization.

In what will all of a sudden be a very crowded infield in upstate New York, Emilien Pitre, acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta deal, will also join Binghamton after slashing .308/.438/.447 and stealing 32 bases in 88 minor league games with the Rays this season.

RHP Gabe Davis, ironically a college teammate of Benge and McLean at Oklahoma State, was one of the pieces the Mets brought back from the White Sox in exchange for Brazoban, and he will now make regular rotation turns in Binghamton. As will fellow righty Gary Gil Hill, who was also part of the Peralta trade.

The Rumble Ponies will understandably have a lot more eyes on them coming down the stretch, but don’t be surprised if there’s an uptick in attendance in Brooklyn either thanks to the arrival of infielder Sammy Stafura—the Mets return from the Pirates in the Weaver trade.

Stafura will be a feel-good story here if he can make good on his prospect promise. A lifelong diehard Mets fan, the 21-year-old has slashed .276/.367/.593 with 20 home runs in only 60 minor league games this season.

In Stafura, Rojas, Pitre, and Voit, it’s clear the Mets have their next crop of minor league infield talent, which will essentially close the door on the likes of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, or Ronny Mauricio having any kind of future in Flushing.

Joining Stafura with the Cyclones will be both of the players the Mets acquired from Philadelphia for LHP Brooks Raley. Neither outfielder John Spikerman nor RHP Luke Gabrysh is considered a can’t-miss type prospect, but both have upside—especially Spikerman who was drafted in the 3rd round two years ago.

Aidan Smith, arguably the headliner of the Peralta trade with the Rays, will also take over a starting outfield spot in Brooklyn, adding significant intrigue to the rest of the season on Coney Island.

Of all the players that the Mets acquired over the last couple of days, the one closest to the big leagues and most likely to debut this season is right-handed reliever Zach Franklin, who came with Davis in the Brazoban trade with the White Sox.

In 33 outings this season, the Marion, NC native pitched to a 4.37 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .220 batting average and striking out 60 hitters in 45.1 innings. He’s given up way too many home runs and struggled with walks, but with even marginal improvement in those areas he could potentially prove to be a steal.

The rest of this season is likely to essentially be a tryout camp in the Mets bullpen, and I’d definitely like to get a look at Franklin sooner rather than later.

Obviously nothing about this season has gone to plan, but in an attempt to make lemons out of lemonade I’m going to give some of these trades the benefit of the doubt, and I’m forward to paying attention to the Rumble Ponies and Cyclones games the rest of the way.

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Around the League 🚩

• The Phillies acquired IF Luis Arraez from San Francisco (ESPN)

• The Mariners acquired OF Taylor Ward from Baltimore (ESPN)

• In a deadline stunner, the Orioles sent three-time all-star catcher Adley Rutschman to their division rivals in Boston (ESPN)

• The Giants dealt LHP Robbie Ray to the Padres (ESPN)

• The Brewers landed RHP Dustin May in a trade with the Cardinals (ESPN)

• Outfielder Dalton Varsho was traded from Toronto to Houston (ESPN)

• The Yankees acquired OF Heliot Ramos from San Francisco (ESPN)

• The Nationals traded feel good story LHP Foster Griffin to Cleveland (ESPN)

• At the deadline buzzer the Padres acquired RHP Casey Mize from Detroit (ESPN)