Let’s make a trade now!

Why wait until everyone is doing it?

We all woke up yesterday to stories about how the NY Mets got swept by the Tampa Bay Rays. It was not a pretty weekend for the Mets especially with the Philadelphia Phillies rattling off four straight wins to pull within 2.5 games of the division lead. In the first two games of the series, the Mets scored enough runs to come away with wins, but the usually high functioning pitching staff had a couple of bad games. We have all turned the page and now look forward to the series starting tonight in Atlanta against a struggling Braves team. Hopefully when the three games are over, the Braves will still be struggling.

We also woke up to a rare non-trade deadline deal where the Boston Red Sox shipped disgruntled multi-millionaire Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and a few prospects. We know that Devers was not happy when the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to a big free agent contract and planted him at Devers’ third base position. They wanted Devers to move to another spot and while he did he was not happy. He was less than thrilled when they also asked him to take some grounders at first. I guess when you sign a 10-year $313 million contract you feel like you should be playing the position they hired you to play. Guess again Rafael. The Giants desperately needed a big bat given that no one on that team seems to hit more than 30 home runs in a year, and they have been beaten out for nearly every star that has tested the free agent waters in recent years.

I don’t think any of our readers could care any less about the fate of the Red Sox or the Giants, but what struck me is that this was a trade way before the July 2025 deadline. Well, why can’t the Mets do the same? Why must we wait given that we already know that we need another strong arm in the pen, some power at the CF position and perhaps a few other rentals to get them to the promised land. This would allow the baby Mets to go back down to Syracuse and work on their hitting and still be contention for a starting spot in 2026.

Let’s make this next part the start of some discussion on trade deadline deals, or ones that can be made now to improve the team.

Thirty-four-year old St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has played in almost every game this year and has eight home runs, 36 RBI, and is batting .243. His .692 OPS leaves a bit to be desired but with just three errors in 180 chances, this perennial gold glover would solidify the left side of the infield. He would not come cheaply, mostly because he has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract but the Cardinals would likely eat a huge chunk to get him off their payroll. Do the Mets need him? No. But right now we tend to cringe when a ball is hit to the left side not at Lindor and wonder if the third baseman du jour will make the play. You don’t want to block the baby Mets, but Arenado could also DH at times.

Chicago White Sox righty Erick Fedde is a starter on a terrible team that is likely to be huge sellers in July. He is 3-6 so far with a 3.65 ERA and a 1.2 WHIP. He is at the end of a 2-year $15 million contract and could either move into the rotation or take a spot in the pen.

The White Sox also have CF Luis Robert, Jr., who is having a poor season coming off a not great 2024. In 2023 he hit 38 home runs with an OPS of .857. There is a lot to like about Tyronne Taylor in CF, but he is a backup at best who has been thrust into the starting role. Robert comes with a few years left and some team options on the balance of a 6-year $50 million contract he signed in 2020 and is earning $15 million this year. He is a very strong fielder who clearly needs a change of scenery.

The Baltimore Orioles, who are in last place in the AL East, might be convinced to move thirty-year-old CF Cedric Mullins and the balance of his $8.75 million 1-year contract. A pending free agent, Mullins has 11 HR, 34 RBI, an OPS of .780 and eight stolen bases.

Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Andrew Heaney is off to 3-5 start the season with a 3.33 ERA and a WHIP of 1.11. Although he is a starter, he could be used out of the pen. While his recent performance has been inconsistent, Heaney is affordable at $5.25 million and has the potential to give the Mets 2-3 strong months as a rental.

There are a ton of players out there and the Mets have plenty of prospects that are currently blocked by players on the MLB roster who could be part of any deal. There are also a number of players who are bouncing back and forth between Citi Field and Syracuse who might benefit from a change of scenery. We all have thoughts on players who can help the Mets who are not at the top of the payroll food chain.

Let’s make something happen now!