Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Mets' 2023 offseason spending spree has not yielded the results that the team had hoped it would. With the halfway mark of the season fast approaching, the Mets are under .500 and no threat to the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. In order for the Mets to achieve their championship aspirations, New York might have to make even more additions at the 2023 MLB trade deadline.
The Mets have struggled for long enough that it's getting harder to use injuries and slumps as an excuse for their losing record. Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo have been healthy all year. New York was losing games when Pete Alonso was leading the majors in home runs. Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer have a combined ERA north of 4.40 in 19 starts, not exactly a small sample size.
Let's take a look at three Mets players who should be on the block before the 2023 trade deadline.
Mets C Prospect Kevin Parada
Kevin Parada is a logical Mets' trade candidate. The catcher is the No. 1 prospect in the Mets' farm system, suggesting that he has the most trade value of any New York player in the minor leagues. It wasn't long ago that current Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez was considered by some to be the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball. Alvarez is blocking Parada's path to New York, making him expendable ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
Alvarez has been impressive during his rookie campaign, posting a .810 OPS with 12 home runs in 46 games. His performance should make it easier for the Mets to pull the trigger on a Parada trade. Even if Alvarez was playing poorly, Parada wouldn't contribute to the Mets in 2023. Most likely not in 2024, either. Still only in High-A, Parada isn't projected to play in MLB until 2025. Mets owner Steve Cohen isn't spending close to a half-billion on his major-league roster because he doesn't mind waiting a few years to win a World Series.
Parada is hitting .250/.338/.385 in 54 games for High-A Brooklyn. His future as a big-leaguer is difficult to predict. A seller at the 2023 trade deadline might be willing to part with productive major leaguers and wait to see what Parada becomes. If one of those teams can offer the Mets an impactful pitcher—someone like Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Diaz—it's a deal that New York should consider making.
Mets SS Propsect Ronny Mauricio
Here's another top Mets' prospect who's currently blocked by someone on the major-league roster. Francisco Lindor is under contract through the 2031 season, so there's next to no chance that Mauricio will be playing his natural position for New York anytime soon.
The Mets are playing Mauirico at second base in the minors, offering him a route to the Big Apple. But it isn't just Lindor who makes a Mauirico trade easier to swallow. Shortstop Jett Williams is New York's No. 3 ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Mauricio is behind him at No. 4. The Mets have enough options in the middle of the infield—for the present and the future—that the organization should seriously explore moving Mauricio at the trade deadline for a player who can help them in the 2023 pennant race.
Mauricio is raking for Triple-A Syracuse. The infielder is hitting .318/.361/.536 in 63 games. His value might never be higher than it is with the 2023 deadline just a few weeks away.
Mets SP Justin Verlander
How exactly does Verlander make this list? Trading last year's AL Cy Young winner is in direct conflict with swapping prospects for short-term help. The Mets should only put Verlander on the trade block if they fall completely out of contention ahead of the deadline. Unfortunately for New York, it's a real possibility that the franchise has to be prepared to face.
With a 33-36 record, the Met are 10.5 games behind the Braves. If New York doesn't start to close the gap between itself and Atlanta, it can kiss its chances of winning the NL East goodbye. What about the wild-card race? The Mets are four games out of the final NL playoff spot, trailing four teams. One losing streak could make New York extreme long shots to reach the postseason.
Fielding offers for Verlander would also be contingent upon his performance. If his ERA is still in the mid-4s in July of his age-40 season, it might be a sign that Verlander's best days are long behind him. Verlander makes $43.33 million in 2024. He has a $35 million option in 2025—when he'll be 42 years old—that vests if he pitches 140 innings next season.
Maybe Cohen will never put a limit on the Mets' payroll. That's doubtful. At some point, even Cohen stop spending. If keeping Verlander's contract could prevent the Mets from pursuing high-priced free agents—Shohei Ohtani could demand the largest contract of all time—New York might be best served cutting its losses with Verlander.
