Mets tell rival teams they are open to trading, with key young core and Juan Soto reportedly off limits

The Mets have informed other teams that they are open for business ahead of the MLB trade deadline, according to a report from Yahoo Sports that frames the organization’s stance as a shift toward making deals once the market matures. The same account says the Mets have not treated the deadline as something to wait on indefinitely, and that the timing of discussions could quicken as summer’s roster window narrows.

At the center of the Mets’ reported posture is a distinction between what the club is willing to move and what it is trying to keep intact. A rival executive, as described by Yahoo Sports, said the Mets made clear that “everyone but” a specific group is available, naming young players Carson Benge, AJ Ewing, Christian Scott and Nolan McLean, along with Juan Soto as the obvious exception. The list matters because teams generally calibrate offers and trade talks based on which assets a club is prepared to part with, not just who might be available on paper.

The report also provides context for why the Mets’ position may be evolving. It notes that David Stearns, the club’s president of baseball operations, had previously insisted the Mets were not ready to sell and had planned to give themselves time to determine whether they could improve before making a decisive choice between buying and selling. In this telling, June and early July did not produce the type of trajectory that would eliminate the need to prepare for the possibility of change at the deadline.

Another factor cited in the Yahoo Sports account is the way the draft season can absorb baseball operations attention. With the amateur draft approaching and teams managing long-range roster building alongside short-term contention decisions, trade talks can become more complicated for front offices that are simultaneously weighing present and future needs. In that environment, any message that the Mets are “open” can help straighten out who should be prepared for serious conversations and which teams can pivot away from courting the Mets as a potential destination.

For contending clubs, the Mets’ reported availability likely influences how they scout the market and how they structure packages. If the “young core plus Soto” are the names that are off the table, it narrows the search for immediate help to other controllable pieces. For non-contenders or teams still building toward the next competitive window, it can also be viewed as an opportunity to acquire impact from a franchise that might be transitioning from evaluation to action before the deadline passes.

For the Mets themselves, the reported message also serves a strategic purpose beyond the deals they might complete. Trade rumors can affect internal conversations, impact how other teams price players, and shape whether the Mets can extract maximum value. By indicating openness, the Mets may be attempting to avoid a scenario where their options shrink as other clubs complete their acquisitions, leaving them with fewer bidders for the players they are willing to move.