PITTSBURGH — The Mets are headed toward Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline with the expectation they will make at least two trades from their major league roster.
Asdrubal Cabrera and Zack Wheeler remain the most likely candidates to be dealt, with club officials also listening on Wilmer Flores, Devin Mesoraco and Jose Bautista, among others, according to sources.
Two of the team’s biggest names, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, are extreme long shots to be traded given the quality and quantity of prospects the Mets are seeking in return for either pitcher. Steven Matz also falls into the category of unlikely to be dealt given the return the Mets are seeking and that clubs are protective of top prospects.
An industry source on Thursday indicated there are about 8-10 teams showing interest in Wheeler, who has morphed into a dependable middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Mets over the past two months. A second source indicated the Mets are confident they can receive a top-10 prospect from a team’s farm system — and possibly another player — for Wheeler.
The Reds, Rangers, Brewers and Rockies are among the teams that have shown some level of interest in the 28-year-old Wheeler, who is under club control through 2019.
A thin starting pitching market was reduced by one on Thursday, when the Blue Jays traded lefty J.A. Happ to the Yankees. With several teams in need of starting pitching, the Mets could wait until early next week before potentially trading Wheeler in an effort to drive up the price as the clock ticks toward Tuesday at 4 p.m.
But the Mets also haven’t ruled out keeping Wheeler given the one year of remaining club control.
Cabrera, who was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer, two runs scored and four RBIs in the Mets’ 12-6 win over the Pirates on Thursday, is receiving interest from 3-4 teams, according to sources, and is almost certain to be dealt given that he is headed to free agency after the season. The veteran infielder is still owed about $3 million, and it remains to be seen if the Mets are willing to eat salary to improve their return.
Last weekend, the Mets traded Jeurys Familia to Oakland for minor leaguers William Toffey and Bobby Wahl, neither of whom was a highly-regarded prospect in the Athletics farm system. The A’s also picked up the remaining $3 million Familia was owed.
