Mets could work with Kansas City to move Zack Wheeler

If the Mets feel like it’s time to shop Zack Wheeler again, the Kansas City Royals might be the best bet to get something back the team could use.

The Mets need to start thinking of trades with the trade deadline a little more than a month away. With everybody not wanting to trade away Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, it’s time to talk about moving Zack Wheeler.

The New York Mets should at least think about sending Wheeler off in the near future, and one good candidate for him to go to is the Kansas City Royals.

When it comes to pitching, the Royals have some of the worst pitchers in baseball. They have four pitchers who have thrown more than 80 innings this season. Three of them have an ERA above 5 and the best one is still above 4 coming into Monday.

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In fact, of all the pitchers who have made at least one start for the Royals, only one has an ERA below 4. While Wheeler’s season ERA is very similar, his recent stats show that he can turn things around a little bit.

He is also pretty cheap and still has another year left before he hits free agency, which would work in the Royals favor.

Who could the Mets get in return for Wheeler? The Royals have a few minor league players that could be on the Mets radar. One of these hitters his Emmanuel Rivera. Currently he is the Royals number ten prospect and he’s a decent third baseman.

Entering Monday, Rivera has been hitting .254 with high A. He’s also hit ten doubles, two triples, and three home runs in just under 180 at-bats. While his average his down this year, last season it was just above .300 and his career minors average is .270.

He would make a decent third baseman in the Mets organization over the next few years. One pitching prospect that the Mets could go after is Elvis Luciano. He was just recently traded to the Royals and has a 7.36 ERA after one start in rookie league.

Before joining the Royals, Luciano was really good with the Diamondbacks, as both a starter and reliever. In 2017, he pitched to a 2.84 ERA.

There are others that would fit in with the Mets nicely, but if they could get one or both of these for Wheeler, or one and a lower player, the Mets would be set.

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Wheeler could still turn things around with the Mets and become a better pitcher like he was originally expected to be, but if the Mets have an opportunity, they should take it.