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The New York Mets are slated to go all-in for a World Series push at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. They have already made moves to improve their bullpen with separate trades for Gregory Soto and Tyler Rogers, but reports suggest that they aren't done yet.
If the Mets truly will be one of the most aggressive trade deadline buyers, then they should make a blockbuster deal for one of the best starting pitchers on the market. Merrill Kelly, a righty for the Arizona Diamondbacks, makes sense as a trade target, but what would it take to acquire the veteran rental?
Mets' trade proposal for Merrill Kelly
Mets receive: Merrill Kelly
Diamondbacks receive: Brandon Sproat (Mets. No. 5), Chris Suero (Mets No. 20)
The Mets are 62-46 and atop the National League East standings. The record-breaking offseason acquisition of Juan Soto has seemingly paid off, as New York is in a prime position to make a deep postseason run. However, their pitching has been suspect over the course of the season.
The team was thin at reliever, but they already added Gregory Soto and Rogers. Now, they need to address the starting rotation. Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga form a solid big three. Peterson made the All-Star game, Senga has a 2.00 ERA, and Holmes, a converted receiver, has impressed in full-time starting duties this season. There isn't much depth to speak about after those three, though, and the Mets will need at least one more playoff-caliber arm in order to compete.
Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning are both on the 60-Day Injured List. Megill has an elbow injury, which is always a scary thought when it comes to pitchers, and Canning is out for the year because of a torn achilles tendon. Paul Blackburn is also dealing with an injury.
Kelly, meanwhile, has already single-handedly kept the Diamondbacks' rotation afloat in a season where Zac Gallen has struggled. Kelly has a 3.22 ERA through 22 games in what is his contract year. The Diamondbacks have already signaled that they will be trade deadline sellers with the trading of Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners and an expected future deal involving Eugenio Suarez. Kelly would be a great get for New York. He has playoff experience, including one of the greatest performances in World Series history during Arizona's Fall Classic experience in 2023.
Will the Diamondbacks trade Merrill Kelly?
Kelly is 36 years old and set to hit free agency, so the Diamondbacks might as well get something back from him and retool for a run next season. The team has lots of talent, including Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel, and Corbin Burnes, but they are just about out of the playoff picture in a stacked NL West this season.
The team has tons of rentals set to depart in free agency at season's end. If they don't replenish the roster, they are at risk of having another disappointing season next year, perhaps one even worse than this season. Considering the Diamondbacks were in the World Series just two years ago, they can't let that happen.
In this trade with the Mets, Arizona would bring in two prospects in return for Kelly. Brandon Sproat is in Triple-A and ready for a promotion soon. He'd bring a splash of youth to a Diamondbacks rotation that is quickly aging. Chris Suero would also join the organization in this deal. Suero is a versatile player who can defend all over the field. Whether the Diamondbacks' roster looks a lot different by the time Suero debuts, or if they are trying to make another championship push with the current core, Suero's multi-positional ability could allow him to crack the lineup at a number of different spots.
Blade Tidwell was long thought of as a trade chip for the Mets to use at the deadline, and he was sent off in the Rogers trade. That could benefit the Diamondbacks if they were to do business with New York because, in this proposed deal, they actually land the higher-rated prospect in Sproat.
The Diamondbacks don't need to blow the entire roster up, but Kelly is the number one player they should be looking to trade at the deadline.
