There's truly no team in professional sports like the New York Mets. Every season is a soap opera, which we mean in the best possible way.
Just think—already this season, the Mets have given us the Jorge López meltdown, a Grimace-fueled winning streak, Edwin Diaz's sticky stuff ejection, an on-field concert from a journeyman infielder, and countless late-game lead changes going both directions. It's been a wild, immensely enjoyable ride.
But now, that ride is approaching the trade deadline, and the Mets are in a strange spot. While still one game under .500, they're only 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. And in a season where they weren't necessarily expected to contend for a playoff spot, reasonable minds could disagree on whether or not they are still in the hunt.
So what to do at the trade deadline? Buy? Sell? The combination of both that teams always try to convince themselves will work, but never does? That all likely comes down to the next few weeks, but in the meantime, there are several Mets who can at least be bookmarked as potential trade candidates. Let's talk about those players:
J.D. Martinez, designated hitter
It really would sting to trade J.D. Martinez in the middle of a great offensive season. He's the perfect veteran to have in the clubhouse, both as a second-hitting coach and a hype man. Without his encouragement, “OMG” never would have taken off as the team song. And many Mets fans will tell you that they wanted Martinez at the 2022 trade deadline, when the team ultimately opted for Daniel Vogelbach to take over DH duties.
However, if the Mets are going to sell anyone, they have to cash in on Martinez. The 36-year-old has earned the right to play for a championship every season and since he's only signed one-year contracts the last two seasons, he's essentially helping teams out if they can't make a playoff run by allowing them to recoup prospect capital for him at the deadline.
Almost every team in the league could use a Martinez in their lineup, and many will be willing to give the Mets a top-10 organizational prospect to do so. Those are the types of players that the Mets can use to balance out the big contracts they've already handed out, not to mention a potential Juan Soto addition that isn't totally out of the question.
Bottom line: Even if the Mets aren't willing to wave the white flag on the season, they should at least be listening to offers on Martinez in case one blows them out of the water.
Luis Severino, starting pitcher
Don't let Friday's start, in which the righty ended up allowing seven runs on three homers, fool you. Luis Severino has been a godsend to the Mets this season, rebounding spectacularly from the messy end to his crosstown career with the New York Yankees. He's given the Mets 103.1 very good innings this season, which has saved the pitching staff in the wake of Kodai Senga's various injury setbacks.
However, like Martinez, Severino signed a one-year deal. It made sense for all sides, given that Severino was coming off a terrible season and needed to prove he was still a viable starting pitcher, but it also meant the Mets would have to pursue trades for him if they weren't in a position to contend. So now that they're teetering on the edge, they at least have to put their feelers out for Severino offers.
And in fact, Senga's return sounds as if it could coincide with a potential Severino trade, so as much as the Mets would love to have both, they might not be weakening their rotation all that much by sending Severino elsewhere. Sure, it diminishes their already-low playoff odds to part with Severino, but it doesn't kill them off entirely.
Brett Baty, third baseman
This one is going to hurt, Mets fans. For two-plus years now, Brett Baty was considered the third baseman of the future. He's had some flashes of brilliance, and every time he gets optioned to Triple-A, he looks like Babe Ruth. But sometimes, you have to give a young player a change of scenery when it's clear things aren't working out.
The Mets have given Baty plenty of chances to claim the starting gig, and he just hasn't done so. In 169 career games, he's produced a .215/.282/.325 slash line, with mediocre, albeit improving, defense. Meanwhile, Mark Vientos has crushed the ball in his most recent call-up, while Ronny Mauricio figures to be ready to reclaim a lineup spot next season. Throw Luisangel Acuña into that mix and it starts getting tricky to find playing time for Baty.
And that's the thing with Baty: He really could still be a good big leaguer. In the right organization, with the right amount of time to develop and grow into an everyday ballplayer. But it hasn't worked out so far for the Mets, and with the surplus of other options New York has in-house, Baty may well help the organization more as a trade chip than an active player.
If the Mets are going to be buyers, Baty is one of the more enticing pieces they can offer in return for MLB talent. And if he goes on to have a great career elsewhere, they did the kid a service.
Follow Us
Subscribe
