Despite his fantastic showing against the Giants last Friday night, there’s no room in the Mets’ starting rotation for Steve Trachsel. The New York Times’ Ben Shpigel reports the Red Sox might have a spot available in theirs.

A major league executive with knowledge of the discussions between the Mets and the Red Sox said that no deal seemed imminent, although the two teams might talk again. If the Red Sox were to acquire Trachsel, they would presumably want to do so by midnight Wednesday, because any player acquired after that point would not be eligible for the postseason. And if Trachsel has previously cleared waivers, no team could move to block the trade by claiming him before a deal is made.

The executive who acknowledged the discussions between the two teams said he did not want to be named because he felt that doing so might jeopardize chances, slim as they might be, for a deal.

Although a trade for Trachsel makes sense for the Red Sox, whose pitching is in disarray, it is not clear what players Boston could afford to offer the Mets who would be of immediate help in the National League wild-card race.

Like many teams, the Mets could use bullpen help, but the Red Sox bullpen is not in particularly good shape, either. The Mets could also stand to upgrade at catcher, first base and second base, areas of depth in the Boston farm system, but the Red Sox may not want to trade a solid prospect for what could be merely a stopgap acquisition. Nor is it clear that the Mets would want to surrender Trachsel now for someone who could not help them for the rest of this season.

The Red Sox may be willing to part with the backup third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who is 26 and does have potential as a major league hitter, but the Mets already have a rising star at third base in David Wright.