This Mets trade piece doesn’t want to get dealt: Is there any chance he stays?

Luis Robert Jr. doesn’t want to be traded by the Mets.

“To be honest, I’d like to stay here,” Robert told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on Monday. “I don’t like those types of moves or trades that just happen in the middle of the season and you have to move around fast.”

Whether he prefers to stay in Queens with the Mets, Robert needs to brace for a trade.

Outfield is the least of the Mets’ problems as the focus shifts to next season and beyond. With phenoms A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge blossoming into everyday players alongside superstar Juan Soto, it would be a surprise if the Mets picked up Robert’s $20 million club option for next year. There’s no spot for him to get consistent playing time.

Therefore, since Robert must be treated like a player on an expiring deal, the Mets will look to get as much back for him as they can. Bob Nightengale of USA Today used the word “desperate” to describe how badly the Mets are trying to move Robert this week.

Earlier this season, the likelihood of Robert getting dealt wasn’t this high. Robert missed just under three months with a significant back injury, an IL stint that began in late April. That makes this season with the Mets the third season in a row in which Robert hasn’t been able to stay on the field and live up to his potential.

Now that Robert is back from the injured list and showing off his prodigious power, however, other teams are intrigued. Those clubs on the hunt for outfield help could look at Robert as a buy-low, high-reward acquisition. If the Mets eat money for the remainder of Robert’s contract, it’s even more of a low-risk deal.

For those teams, the worst case is that Robert gets hurt or doesn’t play well through the end of the year. Then they pay for his buyout and move on. Best case? He fits perfectly, recaptures his All-Star form, stays healthy and they have the ability to pick up his option for next year without him hitting free agency.

Injuries are still part of this discussion. They will continue to be with Robert until he proves he can avoid the injured list. As Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported, the Yankees — one team that needs outfield help — are “leery” about trading for Robert because of his injury history.

Still, even after Juan Soto’s calf injury, it would be a mistake by the Mets to keep Robert around through the deadline when there’s nothing more than a minuscule chance that he’d be part of the playing time picture next season.

Robert knows that whatever he prefers, those trade talks are out of his control.

“That’s out of my hands,” he said. “The people making those decisions, they’re the ones that have to make those decisions and I have to accept it, whether it happens or not.”

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