The New York Mets could make several moves during the trade deadline.

New York currently sits in the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League with a record of 50-47. They are just half a game behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot, but less than a full percentage point ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are 51-48.

With the margin between making and missing the playoffs so small, the Mets may have a decision on their course of action in the next few games. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the team could sell several of their starting pitchers before the July 31 deadline, depending on their performance to start the second half.

“If the Mets get off to a bad start in the second half — or even try to be both buyer and seller — they have some attractive trade targets in starters Jose Quintana, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea,” Nightengale wrote.

Severino and Quintana will both be unrestricted free agents after the season, while Manaea has a $13 million player option that he can decline. With this in mind, it would make sense for the Mets to consider trading prospects for these players rather than letting them go for nothing, especially if they miss the playoffs.

But with the Mets maintaining their momentum in the second half and currently holding a playoff spot, it seems more likely they go all out and keep every pitcher.

At this point, the odds of New York trading Severino appear slim; the 30-year-old is having a resurgent season with a 3.58 ERA, 4.26 FIP and 1.18 WHIP to go along with 88 strikeouts against 40 walks. Severino’s 115.2 innings are his most since 2018, and he’s 7-3 in 19 starts. He’s a big reason the Mets are in the playoff hunt, and has expressed legitimate interest in staying in Queens on a long-term deal, so the Mets are likely to pass on him.

As for Manaea, he leads New York’s pitching staff with a 1.3 fWAR. The 32-year-old southpaw also has a 3.73 ERA, 3.86 FIP and 1.24 WHIP in 101.1 innings. His output hasn’t been as integral to the team as Severino’s, but he’s still one of the Mets’ most reliable starters this year.

Finally, Quintana is the most important pitcher the Mets should consider trading. The veteran lefty sports a 4.13 ERA, 5.01 FIP and 1.26 WHIP with 79 strikeouts against 34 walks; most of his value comes as an innings-eater, as he’s thrown 102.1 frames this season. With New York already having two lefties in the rotation (Manaea and David Peterson), along with the impending return of ace Kodai Senga, Quintana seems like the odd one out. But with so many question marks surrounding the rotation (particularly Severino and Senga’s ability to stay healthy), the Mets should keep him around for the rest of the year due to his durability.

Ultimately, while it makes sense for the Mets to trade one of their starters for prospects, it would detract from their top priority this season: making the postseason. Their pitching has been good enough to have a playoff spot at this point, so it would make more sense for New York to add reinforcements at the deadline (particularly in the bullpen) and maintain the momentum they’ve built over the past two months.