MLB

Mets will listen to Colon offers as deadline nears: sources

An overhaul isn’t likely, but that doesn’t mean the Mets will necessarily be silent heading to the trade deadline.

According to club sources, the team will listen to offers for Bartolo Colon and may actively shop the veteran right-hander.

The 41-year-old Colon, who signed a two-year contract worth $20 million last offseason, is 8-6 with a 3.88 ERA in 16 starts for the Mets in 2014.

Though Colon is owed $11 million for next season, the view within the industry is that contract won’t prohibit the Mets from making a deal with a contender in need of rotation help. An AL executive called Colon’s contract “relatively friendly.”

But sources indicated general manager Sandy Alderson has no pressure to deal Colon, and the Mets could wait past the July 31 non-waiver deadline in attempting to maximize their return.

Alderson’s only substantial in-season trade last year came in late August, when he sent Marlon Byrd and John Buck to the Pirates for reliever Vic Black and minor league infielder Dilson Herrera.

Colon would be expendable because of a rotation crop that includes Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom, with Dillon Gee expected to return from the disabled list as soon as next week. Daisuke Matsuzaka remains in the rotation for now to provide a veteran presence. The Mets also have Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero at Triple-A Las Vegas and ace Matt Harvey on track for 2015, giving the team a potential glut of starting pitchers next year.

The Mets are reluctant to trade Niese, according to a club source, despite the fact he might be their biggest commodity. The lefty is 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA this season and is signed to a team-friendly contract that will pay him $7 million next year. In 2016, he is scheduled to make $9 million. There are also club options on Niese for 2017 and ’18 that would pay him a combined $21 million.

“I would think the Mets would not trade me, but if a team makes them an offer they can’t refuse, they are going to do it,” Niese told The Post. “I am the only lefty starter right now, so I would assume they would not want to get rid of me.”

The Mets’ next lefty in the system is 23-year-old Steven Matz, who was recently promoted to Double-A Binghamton.

A major league executive whose team has been scouting the Mets indicated it would be short-sighted to keep Niese based on the fact he is the team’s only lefty starter.

“If you aren’t going to win this year, it shouldn’t make a difference,” the executive said. “Get the best deal you can and worry later about having a lefty.”

Niese, who came up through the Mets’ minor league system, indicated he would like to remain with the club.

“I love playing here in New York,” he said. “I think we’re going in the right direction. The results aren’t the way we want it to be right now, but I can foresee it coming in the future. I would love to stay here in New York, but if I don’t I’m still going to be pitching.”

Given the state of their lineup, the Mets appear in no hurry to deal Daniel Murphy, who remains the team’s most consistent hitter. Alderson and his lieutenants discussed trading Murphy as recently as last winter, but have found Murphy’s value is higher to the Mets than it is to other clubs.