The Mets' deadline is officially a teardown. ESPN's Jeff Passan broke the news that Minnesota is acquiring left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from New York, and he made sure to frame it as the first domino, not a one-off (post 2083036855407132790).
Trade news: The Minnesota Twins are acquiring left-handed reliever A.J. Minter from the New York Mets, sources tell ESPN. The Mets’ selling starts with one of the top relievers on the market. There will be many more Mets deals to come before Aug. 3.
Minter, 32, signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Mets before the 2025 season and was in the middle of a strong walk year, giving New York exactly the kind of trade chip contenders love in late July: a proven lefty who can miss bats and get big outs late in games. Jon Heyman confirmed the trade was official within minutes of Passan's report, and quickly followed with the return (posts 2083038114629509350, 2083038632554746001).
Mets receive prospects Bruin Agbayani + Billy Amick for Minter
The headline of the return isn't the ceiling, it's the name. Infielder Bruin Agbayani is the son of Benny Agbayani, the beloved 'Flyin' Hawaiian' who played outfield for the Mets around the turn of the century. Bobby Valentine, who managed Benny in both Flushing and Chiba Lotte, offered a glowing scouting report on the son: a lefty-hitting infielder who can run and has pop, and who's headed to St. Lucie as part of the deal (post 2083047285668094449).
Bruin Agbayani, 19, was the Twins’ 29th ranked prospect. “I like him a lot. He is a ballplayer. Lefthanded hitter. Can run and has power.” — Bobby Valentine, who managed Bruin’s dad Benny with Mets and Chiba Lotte (Bruin is on his way to St. Lucie)
Alongside Agbayani comes Billy Amick, a power-hitting infielder the Twins took in the second round out of Tennessee back in 2024, fresh off helping the Volunteers win the College World Series. Per Passan, Amick brings big raw power with some lingering questions about where he ultimately fits defensively, while Agbayani profiles as young, toolsy and instinctual — an 19-year-old who'd already climbed to Minnesota's No. 29 prospect ranking before the trade, and now slots in as roughly the Mets' No. 22 prospect (posts 2083040929036865638, 2083051999168238016).
For Minnesota, this is a straightforward buy: a bullpen that's been one of the worst in baseball needed a reliable veteran arm, and Minter — who'd previously helped Atlanta win a World Series in that same lefty relief role — fills exactly that gap for a stretch run. For the Mets, it's the real story. Passan wasn't hedging when he said 'the Mets' selling starts' with Minter — this is a front office signaling it's out on 2026 and pivoting to next year, with MLB Trade Rumors already framing it as the Mets kicking off their deadline sale in full (post 2083053495024824524).
The Aug. 3 trade deadline is now the whole ballgame in Queens. If a reliever making $11 million on an expiring deal was worth moving for two mid-tier prospects, expect names further up the roster to start circulating fast — and expect Twins fans to start paying very close attention to two infielders they'd barely heard of a day ago.