The New York Mets appear to have finally put all the pieces together this season. The Mets have been on the verge of being a playoff contender for some time now, but have found ways to shoot themselves in the foot on several occassions. This season has been very different so far.
The Mets are leading the pack in a highly competitive National League East division. The Atlanta Braves are breathing down the Mets' back, and the Philadelphia Phillies loom as a wild card team as well. New York has done a great job of holding off the rest of the teams in their division all season long, but that will have to continue throughout the final two months if they want to hold onto the top spot in the NL East.
The Mets could help themselves out by pulling off a couple of moves the 2022 MLB trade deadline. There's one move for a star player that could be made to fill one of the only holes in their lineup, and make them one of the teams to beat in the National League. Let's take a closer look at what that deal would look like for New York as the deadline looms.
The perfect deadline deal for the New York Mets: Trading for Willson Contreras
New York has powered themselves to the top of the National League on the back of a very deep lineup. Led by guys like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor, there aren't a lot of weak spots in their lineup when you look at it from the top spot to the bottom. One area that has been very weak, however, is their catcher position.
Tomas Nido has started the most games of any catcher for the Mets this season, and he hasn't exactly been good. He's hitting just .216 with no home runs and 16 RBIs over 65 games of action. Nido has the stats of a backup despite being in the lineup nearly everyday for New York.
The problem is that the Mets don't really have anyone they could replace Nido with. James McCann would be starting if he were healthy, but even then he's hitting just .183 on the season. Patrick Mazeika has been backing up Nido for the time being, and he hasn't been much better, as he's hitting just .194.
New York has gotten production from pretty much every other spot in their lineup aside from catcher. That's why making a move for Chicago Cubs star catcher Willson Contreras would make a lot of sense for New York as the 2022 MLB trade deadline approaches.
Contreras has continued to prove he's one of the best catchers in the game this season, as he's hitting .252 with 14 home runs and 38 RBIs for the Cubs so far this season. That line helped him earn his third All-Star selection over the past five seasons, showcasing Contreras' consistency at the catcher position.
As the Cubs continue to try to bring in as many prospects as they can in their rebuilding process, Contreras seems likely to be moved at the trade deadline. The Mets are widely expected to be one of the top teams pursuing Contreras considering their dire need for a catcher.
Despite the clear need for a catcher, the Mets have been put off by the Cubs asking price for Contreras. That's a bit confusing given their clear World Series aspirations this season. Contreras could be the piece that pushes them over the top; given that, the Mets should be willing to do whatever it takes to land him.
Contreras is still relatively young, as he's only 30 years old. The problem is that his contract is up at the end of the season, meaning he could potentially be a very expensive rental for whoever ends up trading for him. The Cubs are going to want to get rid of him, so chances are there will be some sort of resolution in the next 24 hours or so.
The Mets are going to be hoping that they are part of that resolution, and that they can acquire Contreras from the Cubs. It's rare that a top catcher like Contreras finds himself on the trade market. New York could conceivably try to fill this hole by picking up a guy like Christian Vazquez on the Boston Red Sox or Sean Murphy on the Oakland Athletics, but neither guy is nearly as good as Contreras.
Contreras could be the final piece to an already deep Mets lineup that helps them make a deep playoff run this season. There are other options they could pursue, but acquiring Contreras would be their best option, which is why it would make perfect sense for the Mets to do whatever it takes to acquire Willson Contreras at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.
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