New York Mets: Trading Jacob deGrom is a foolish idea this year

The New York Mets have struggled for the last two weeks. Some fans are so frustrated they’re willing to trade Jacob deGrom this summer.

Listen to enough sports talk radio and you’re bound to hear ridiculous trade ideas. On WFAN in New York, several New York Mets fans have decided it’s time to trade Jacob deGrom.

It’s a pretty sad state. While New York Yankees fans are insistent they can deal Brett Gardner and pick up Madison Bumgarner this summer, the Mets faithful are ready to move on from their franchise pitcher.

Now is not the time to trade deGrom. As an ace controlled for two more seasons after this, the Mets would give up a lot more than they would get back. There’s no haul out there that would put the Mets in a better position to win.

The Mets aren’t in a bad position even if 2018 goes down the toilet. They have a couple of players coming off the books this year, allowing them a chance to fix any of the roster errors made in recent years. With so much money allocated to Yoenis Cespedes and his immovable contract, it’s important the Mets assess exactly where they are before trading any piece of their core.

I think a lot of fans believe trading star players for prospects always works. Though I understand their frustration, trading deGrom now only secures another losing season in 2019. It also probably means this team won’t go anywhere in 2020 or 2021 either. Are we really prepared to give up years for a roll of the dice?

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The Mets are still one pitcher away from having a rotation prepared to roll through the postseason. Of course, the hard part is getting there.

Most teams would envy and fear any starting staff with deGrom and Noah Syndergaard at the top. If the Mets could get just one more arm they could count on, their championship hopes would rise significantly.

Do I blame Mets fans for hitting the panic button?

Not at all. I’m clueless how to go about fixing this team, too.

What I do know is that trading a star pitcher making less than $10 million is not going to work. This is especially true in the Mets’ case when they don’t have much else to sell of value.

Fans talk about re-stocking the farm system. It sounds like an easy strategy.

However, can we trust the Mets are able to pick the right prospects? If they’ve struggled to develop their own stars, there’s little reason to believe they can pick the right ones from other organizations.

Sit tight, Mets fans. deGrom needs to stay. This year is far from lost. If that changes, re-group and see what can be done about 2019.

Next: Did David Wright have a chance at Cooperstown?

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Next year is the season when deGrom is a far more plausible trade candidate. Until then, you’re going to have to resist the urge to call up the radio with preposterous trade proposals.