Mets Trade Pitch: Sending Zack Wheeler and more to the Rangers

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 22: Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field on June 22, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Since the New York Mets are set to be sellers at the trade deadline this season, it’s time to start thinking about where they can unload some players. One of the best options may be a blockbuster trade with the Texas Rangers.

Back in 2011 at the MLB trade deadline, the New York Mets dealt All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants in return for Zack Wheeler. At the time of the deal, he was one of the game’s best pitching prospects.

Now, almost 8 years later, after an “interesting” career with the Mets, full of highs and some very low lows, Wheeler is set to be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019 season, meaning that he is now one of the team’s biggest trade chips.

The Mets went into the All-Star break with a record of 40-50. This put them fourth in the NL East Division and well out of playoff contention. As a result, it is safe to say that the team did not live up to the expectations that they entered the 2019 season with.

With many of their pending free agents putting together solid seasons, it wouldn’t make sense to hold onto them for some ill-fated hope that the team could rebound and rally over the final two months of the season and some how sneak into the post season.

While it isn’t what fans were hoping the Mets would be doing at the trade deadline this year, the best course of action for New York is to trade away their expendable talent and help to restock the farm system and better prepare the franchise for a bid for the World Series in the future.

However, it’s not just about trading away these players, but rather for the right deal in order to get minor leagues with a higher ceiling. This often means trading away multiple assets in order to sweeten the deal.

It also means finding a team that needs what the Mets have, and have players that the Mets could want, and in this proposal, that team is the Texas Rangers.

MIAMI, FLORIDA – JULY 12: Wilson Ramos #40 of the New York Mets hits a 2-RBI single in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on July 12, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Three players headed to Texas

While the Mets were expected to compete in 2019 and sadly floundered, the Texas Rangers have seemingly come out of nowhere this season. After finishing last in the AL West in 2018, they had a record of 50-42 entering Saturday. At the moment, they are in the mix for a Wild Card berth.

The most impressive part of their run this season is that they are receiving massive contributions from veteran players whom they signed on cheap, one-year contracts, such as Lance Lynn, Hunter Pence, and our old friend Asdrubal Cabrera.

However, they are far from a complete team, and despite their success this season, they are still struggling to get production from several key positions.

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Specifically, if the team hopes to compete this postseason, they could use another quality starting pitcher as well as a catcher and a first baseman. Their current starters at each position are struggling, with their catcher Jeff Mathis hitting .159 and first baseman Ronald Guzman hitting .209.

Luckily, the Mets have players available to be traded at each of these positions. As stated earlier, the bigger the trade that New York makes, the bigger the haul they should receive.

I propose that the Mets trade away pitcher Zack Wheeler, catcher Wilson Ramos and first baseman Dominic Smith to the Texas Rangers in return for prospects.

Wheeler will be a free agent at the conclusion of the season and would help improve Texas’ starting rotation down the stretch. A good hitting catcher is hard to come by, but Ramos has put together a solid season, and is signed through the 2020 season. This means he has more value because the Rangers will get an additional year out of him.

The one oddball in this group is Smith. Although he is having a good year, batting .304 with 8 home runs, and is under team control through the 2024 season, there’s no real fit. Pete Alonso has cemented himself as the first baseman going forward. I do not see Smith as a long-term fit in the outfield.

Seeing as he is currently having such a productive year, it would make sense to capitalize on it and trade him away. He would have a chance to potentially thrive with the Rangers and the Mets could get a player who better suits their needs.

Many of you may be curious about what I envision the Mets getting in return for such a large deal. Well, I have three prospects in mind.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JUNE 19: Joe Palumbo #62 of the Texas Rangers throws against the Cleveland Indians in the first inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 19, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

The prospect haul

In return for trading away those three players to the Texas Rangers, the Mets should receive right-handed pitcher Hans Crouse, outfielder Bubba Thompson, and left-handed pitcher Joe Palumbo.

Crouse would be the highlight of the group, as he is ranked as the top pitching prospect in the Rangers farm system. He is a “power pitcher”, known for a mid-to-high 90s fastball. He is currently 20 years old and plays in Single-A baseball. Through 12 starts in 2019, he has a 3.71 ERA over 51.0 innings with 52 strike outs and only 11 walks. He is far from major league ready, but possesses a lot of raw talent and is projected to debut in the majors in 2021.

Thompson is the Rangers’ 5th ranked prospect and is currently 21 years old. He plays in A+ in the Texas minor league organization. He has only appeared in 16 games this season due to injury, but in 2018, he played in 84 games in Single-A, batting .289 with a .344 OBP, hitting 8 home runs with 42 RBI and 32 stolen bases. He is a speedy outfielder, capable of playing all three positions, hits for average and a bit of power, and is projected to debut in the majors in 2021.

Lastly, Palumbo is a southpaw and is ranked as Texas’ 7th best prospect. His repertoire consists of a mid-90s fastball with a solid change-up, and he has a reputation as a big strike out pitcher.

Of the three, he is the closest to major league ready, having already been called up to the majors this season, where he appeared in three games for the Rangers, starting two of them before being sent back down to the minors. Between Double-A and Triple-A in 2019, Palumbo appeared in 13 games, starting 12 of them, with a 3.29 ERA over 63.0 innings with 83 Ks, and at the very least, should return to the majors in September when the rosters expand.

Obtaining these three players in a trade would make the package I believe the Mets should offer the Rangers well worth it. It would free up Ramos’ salary for the 2020 season, and in return, New York would get two solid starting pitching prospects and a player that could be our center fielder of the future.

Palumbo is nearly major league ready and could potentially replace Wheeler’s spot in the major league rotation right away. Moving players like Smith and Ramos would allow younger players like JD Davis and Tomas Nido to start more regularly for the remainder of the season. It would also open up roster spots in the near future for others.

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Since the New York Mets are set to be sellers at the trade deadline this season, it’s time to start thinking about where they can unload some players. One of the best options may be a blockbuster trade with the Texas Rangers.

Three players headed to Texas

More from Rising Apple

The prospect haul

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