The New York Mets head into the 2026 season with legitimate playoff expectations after making major upgrades across the roster. A postseason appearance wouldn’t be surprising given how much they’ve improved both offensively and on the pitching side.
It’s not just the lineup that got attention—the Mets also strengthened their bullpen and starting rotation. Still, there’s an argument that adding one more reliable arm could elevate them from contenders to true threats. Pairing another quality starter alongside Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean would give the rotation more depth and stability over a long season.
As it stands, the foundation is strong. But if the Mets want to maximize their chances in October, one more proven starter could be the missing piece.
With that need in mind, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden predicted that the New York Mets could make a major move at the 2026 trade deadline by acquiring Nathan Eovaldi from the Texas Rangers.
Eovaldi, an All-Star right-hander, has been dominant with a 1.73 ERA, making him exactly the type of frontline starter the Mets could target. Adding him to a rotation that already includes Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean would significantly strengthen their chances of making a deep postseason run.
If this prediction comes true, it would signal that New York is fully committed to contending in 2026, going all-in to build a championship-caliber rotation.
Mets predicted to trade for Nathan Eovaldi
“With a year and a half left on his deal, starter Nathan Eovaldi could be traded from the Texas Rangers to the New York Mets at the deadline,” predicts Jim Bowden.
If this scenario comes to fruition, it would give the Mets an incredibly potent top of the rotation. Pairing Eovaldi with Nolan McLean and Freddy Peralta would create a three-headed ace trio capable of powering a legitimate World Series run.
Beyond that, New York would still have significant depth with Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, and several promising arms in the minors. This would make the Mets’ rotation not only the deepest in baseball but arguably the strongest overall.
Last season with the Rangers, the 14th-year veteran Eovaldi, at 35, posted a career-best 1.73 ERA over 22 starts, going 11-3 with 129 strikeouts, a 4.4 bWAR, and a 211 ERA+, highlighting just how dominant he’s been late in his career.
Nathan Eovaldi has a long Major League career, debuting with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011. Since then, he’s pitched for the Miami Marlins, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.
He’s spent the past three seasons with the Texas Rangers and was instrumental in their first-ever World Series title in 2023, posting a 2.95 ERA over six postseason starts and 36.2 innings. He also played a key role in the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 championship run, with a 1.61 ERA across 22.1 innings.
Jim Bowden’s trade prediction is ambitious. Eovaldi is under contract through 2027 on a three-year, $75 million deal, meaning any trade wouldn’t come cheap. The New York Mets would likely have to give up significant assets, but acquiring him would be a game-changing move, dramatically improving their chances at a 2026 World Series title.
