Sandy Alderson

Mets GM Sandy Alderson says the next week will mean a lot for the club.

(Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK -- Sandy Alderson, the Mets general manager, still is not ready to say where his team stands in the trade market, but he does believe this next week before the All-Star break will shed some light.

The Mets enter tonight 39-49 and 10 games behind the NL East leading Braves, who they play four times this series. Then comes a series against the Marlins.

If this next phase of the season doesn't go as Alderson hopes, the Mets could be in place to trade away veterans.

“Let’s see where we are at the end of this week," he said today. "We’re always willing to listen but we may be thinking in terms of the second half of this season. We may be thinking more in terms of next season. We’ve made a lot of deals in the recent years where we’ve gotten prospects who are a good ways away. I don’t think we’re thinking that way these days, although sometimes that’s the value in a return. So I’d just hate to speculate.”

Alderson has said he is not looking to trade lefty starter Jon Niese and assistant GM John Ricco told the New York Times last week that the club hasn't "specifically talked about" Daniel Murphy "recently."