Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Mets Poised to Steal the Deadline Spotlight with Aggressive Push

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Graves | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 3:42 PM ET

This year's trade deadline has crept along. Early deals like Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners and Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees offer only a glimpse of what's expected in the final stretch.

But behind the scenes, the pressure is building.

"A lot of frustration because teams looking to trade prominent players -- knowing this year's market -- are holding their asking prices high, and the teams who want to add are trying to wait them out," Buster Olney of ESPN noted. Jeff Passan added that teams are hoping return prices on controllable players will drop by Wednesday. If not, the pivot to the rental market could come fast and chaotic.

Everyone wants pitching. "The number of teams that want high-leverage relief pitchers -- and the relative paucity of them on the market" is driving prices up, Passan said. Ryan Helsley, David Bednar, and Jhoan Duran are commanding top-tier attention. There is also chatter around starters like Dylan Cease, Merrill Kelly, and Joe Ryan. Yet, few are confident the big asks will budge.

With the traffic jam of cautious buyers and stubborn sellers, one team is pushing through the gridlock.

"Between now and the deadline, the Mets might be the most aggressive club adding players," Olney reported. Not only are they in the market for a starter who can pitch Game 1 or 2 of a postseason series, but also a center fielder, with Cedric Mullins on their radar.

With fewer than 48 hours left, New York is treating this like an all-in moment. If the dam breaks, they will be ready to flood the market and reshape for the postseason race.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: