The New York Mets entered the 2024 campaign with expectations ranging from a 90-loss team to a squad that could realistically challenge for one of the final wild card spots.
The blue and orange are currently in between, as they are eight games under .500 (28-36), but due to the struggles around the rest of the national league, they are just 3.5 games out of the final wild-card spot.
Despite the Mets still being in the thick of it, many have changed their focus toward the trade deadline and who the blue and orange will be shipping away. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen is thinking otherwise.
Steve Cohen is not focused on the trade deadline
“I know everybody’s focused on the trade deadline. That’s all anybody wants to talk about. We’ve got a lot of games to play. Let’s get focused on what’s happening now. We’ve got to chip away,” Cohen said Sunday in London.“What are we, four games out of the wild card? We shouldn’t be proud of that, right? We’re still nine games under. But it gives you the opportunity to make the season a success. And so that’s the way I’m looking at it.”
Via the Associated Press and MLB.com
The Mets are only 3.5 games out, but only the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies are behind them in the standings. According to Fangraphs, the blue and orange have just a 13.1% chance of making the playoffs.
The Mets could take a hybrid approach
Of course, the next few weeks could change plenty of things, but if the blue and orange are still within striking distance of a playoff spot, they could take a hybrid approach at the trade deadline.
In that approach, the Mets would sell players with expiring deals who could be easily replaced by depth within the organization. A couple of potential players being shipped out in this scenario would be Jose Quintana and Harrison Bader. Time will tell what the Mets do, but for the moment, Steve Cohen is not waving the white flag on the 2024 campaign.