David Robertson became the first pending free agent on the Mets to be jettisoned on Thursday night, finally signifying that the organization plans to be a willing seller at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Two other players with expiring contracts, outfielders Mark Canha and Tommy Pham, said they were hardly surprised by the Robertson trade and what it could mean for them in the coming days,
“I wasn’t shocked by it. Leading up to now, we’re not shocked by it,” Pham said in a brief conversation before he started in left field Friday night against the Nationals. “[Robertson is] on an expiring contract and that’s the business of the game. That’s all I have to say.”
Pham, who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million as a free agent last winter, also responded “no” when asked if the Mets have addressed his situation with him. The trade deadline is this coming Tuesday.
After knocking in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning Thursday as the first batter following a 97-minute rain delay in a 2-1 win over the Nationals, Canha similarly said general manager Billy Eppler has not spoken to him about potentially being moved.
“It’s unfortunate, it’s a tough blow, but it’s the nature of the business,” the 34-year-old Canha said of Robertson’s trade to the Marlins for two low-level minor leaguers. “I think we were all expecting it at some point. So it’s not surprising. It still hurts, though.
“I’m only human, so it’s in the back of my mind,” he added. “But it doesn’t really do me any good to think about it. You try to keep it in the back of your mind and stay focused on playing every day.”
Canha signed a two-year deal worth $24.5 million guaranteed — including an $11.5 million club option for 2024 with a $2 million buyout — ahead of last season.
He admitted he “wasn’t really hopeful,” even before Robertson’s departure, that the Mets, who were 48-54 entering Friday, could avoid selling at the deadline.
“We probably should have played better earlier if we wanted to be buyers instead of sellers,” Canha said. “I think my mindset is we can still play good baseball if we lose pieces. That’s kind of where my attention is.
“Just keep playing good baseball and let the logistics take care of themselves, and like I told the guys, regardless of what happens the next few days, let’s win a lot of games the next two months and see what happens.”
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