After Robertson, who could Mets trade next?

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The trade of David Robertson late Thursday night signaled what will almost certainly become a wider selloff for the Mets. Robertson, by a decent margin, was the team’s most tradable asset as a 38-year-old pending free agent with a solid track record of success.

But he’s not the only player the Mets will consider dealing. Here’s a look at some of the others, in descending order of the likelihood they’ll move:

Tommy Pham, OF

Key stat: 93.2 mph average exit velocity

Contract: $6 million, can be a free agent after this season

If not for a groin injury that limited his playing time in late July, Pham would be nearly as much of a lock as Robertson to go. Scouts have been following Pham’s progress closely, knowing he offers unique right-handed thump as one of the game’s hardest hitters. The 35-year-old Pham’s outfield defense is limited at this point in his career, but he would be a strong platoon/bench option for a contender like the Phillies or Rangers. Several other right-handed trade candidates, such as Adam Duvall or Teoscar Hernández, play for teams that are not clear sellers.

Brooks Raley, LHP

Key stat: 166 league-adjusted ERA+

Contract: $4.5 million, plus a $6.5 million team option for 2024

Raley has been more effective against right-handed batters than lefties this season, but unlike Robertson, his reverse splits appear mostly to be the product of small sample size. He’s historically been tougher on lefties, who haven’t exactly squared him up often. (Raley's string of 13 consecutive appearances without allowing a run was recently snapped.) Skeptics will point to the fact that Raley’s walk rate is up from last season, his strikeout rate is down, and his 4.12 FIP suggests he’s lucky to have a 2.50 ERA. But the bottom line is Raley is healthy, effective and throws with his left arm. That always has value this time of year.

Mark Canha, OF

Key stat: .906 OPS as a substitute

Contract: $11.5 million, plus an $11.5 million team option for 2024

Those not tempted by Pham might have interest in Canha, particularly if the Mets are willing to pay down his salary (which has been Steve Cohen’s modus operandi in recent deals). At his best, Canha isn’t the same type of game-changing slugger that Pham is, but he’s a better defender, a solid baserunner, a positive clubhouse influence and a reasonable power threat against left-handed pitching.

José Quintana, LHP

Key stat: 2 games started this season

Contract: $13 million guaranteed per season through 2024

It may seem strange for the Mets to consider dealing a player who spent the entire first half on the injured list, but Quintana comes with a long, successful track record including a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts after the Pirates traded him to the Cardinals last August. The Mets could see if a pitching-needy team will overpay for him, though a caveat exists: as things stand, Quintana projects as a member of New York’s 2024 rotation. Trading him would mean creating another roster hole that needs filling.

Adam Ottavino, RHP

Key stat: 1.04 ERA in July

Contract: $7.25 million plus a $7.25 million player option for 2024

Ottavino’s relatively expensive contract and uneven production make him something less than a prime trade candidate. But he’s still a useful, playoff-tested reliever who has reached a higher plane in recent weeks. If the Mets can pay down Ottavino’s salary to score an interesting prospect, or if another club is willing to pony up for his services, he might make sense for one of many contenders seeking bullpen help.

Justin Verlander, RHP

Key stat: 1.46 ERA over his last six starts

Contract: $43.3 million guaranteed per season through 2024 with a $35 million conditional player option for 2025

Verlander’s midseason improvements make him intriguing to a select group of teams that want starting pitching, have the budget to pay his contract beyond this year and could entice him to waive his no-trade clause -- think clubs like the Rangers or Astros. From the Mets’ perspective, the problem with trading Verlander is that it would force them to replace him on the free-agent market. If the Mets, say, pay down a significant chunk of Verlander’s salary and then buy a premium free agent on top of that, their payroll could increase to levels that might make even Cohen blanch. For those reasons, trading Verlander isn’t impossible, but it isn’t particularly likely, either.

Max Scherzer, RHP

Key stat: 3.89 ERA over his last seven starts

Contract: $43.3 million plus a $43.3 million player option for next season

Along those lines, the problems with trading Scherzer include his salary, his home-run issues, his performances in big games over the past few years, his full no-trade clause and the fact that any team acquiring him would be on the hook for his 2024 option. That should prevent all but the biggest-market contenders from even considering the three-time Cy Young Award winner. If a Verlander trade is unlikely, a Scherzer deal feels all but impossible at this point.

Pete Alonso, 1B

Key stat: 28 home runs in 94 games

Contract: $14.5 million with one more year of arbitration eligibility

Zero indications exist that the Mets will trade Alonso. But if they wanted to enter a multiyear rebuild, he’s their most tradeable asset who’s not a rookie. Alonso might depart as a free agent after next season anyway, at which point the Mets could shift Brett Baty from third to first. But the Mets will have enough issues this winter without worrying about replacing Alonso, too. Consider the chances of a deal remote.