Even with all of the ups and downs they have experienced this season, the New York Mets find themselves in a strong position headed into Major League Baseball’s trade deadline.
The club currently sits in first place in the National League East, albeit with a slim half-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. Their solid 62-46 record comes despite missing starting pitchers Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga and Frankie Montas for large chunks of the season as well as disappointing performances from young hitters like Luisangel Acuña, Mark Vientos and Francisco Alvarez. The bullpen, meanwhile, has regressed drastically after a hot start to this season, and manager Carlos Mendoza has yet to find the right formula in front of closer Edwin Diaz.
Thus far, the performances of their stars, including Diaz, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, have helped overcome the inconsistencies of the rest of the roster, but the Mets cannot expect their four best players to carry them all season long. Even after adding left-handed reliever Gregory Soto, the Mets have a lot of work to do at the trade deadline, which ESPN’s Buster Olney outlined in his trade deadline preview.
“The Mets might be the most aggressive club adding players, looking for a starter who could pitch Game 1, 2 or 3 of a postseason series,” Olney wrote. “Relief pitching and an outfielder -- perhaps Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles -- are also among their needs.”
Center field is the most obvious hole in the Mets' lineup, as journeyman Tyrone Taylor has accumulated the most starts despite posting a measly .559 OPS. While unspectacular, Mullins, who has tallied 15 homers with a .732 OPS, would be a significant upgrade at a reasonable cost. The Mets should also be able to attain relief help in front of Diaz, as the market is flush both with proven late-inning arms like Ryan Helsley and David Bednar as well as cheaper middle relievers.
The most difficult task for the Mets will be obtaining a front-of-the-rotation arm. With the Washington Nationals unlikely to move MacKenzie Gore and the Minnesota Twins setting a high price for Joe Ryan, there is no obvious target for the Mets to go after. Their best bet may be to use their surplus of young position players to tempt the Pittsburgh Pirates into parting ways with Mitch Keller, a veteran innings-eater who has posted a solid 3.69 ERA this season.
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