Mets Trade Pitch: Sending Zack Wheeler and others to the Indians

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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) /

The 2019 trade deadline is approaching quickly and the New York Mets will need to sell. One deal they should consider would send a package of three major leaguers to the Cleveland Indians for prospects.

With the New York Mets currently sitting several games below .500 and their chances at a playoff berth currently rated by many as slim to none, it’s safe to say that they will be sellers at the MLB trade deadline this season.

As the July 31st deadline looms, the Mets are one of the teams with quite a few players on the trade block this season. The franchise is currently surrounded with rumors and speculation about which players will end up where.

Zack Wheeler is currently the most talked about Met who is primed to be traded this season, as he was the centerpiece of a Rising Apple trade proposal from last week along with Wilson Ramos and Dominic Smith.

However, there are much more than just one team who could be interested in Wheeler. The Mets should explore all of their options to get the best deal. This includes packaging players together.

Funnily enough, two the 2018 Mets’ most disappointing signings are expected to be a few of their biggest trade pieces, as both pitcher Jason Vargas and third baseman Todd Frazier have rebounded in 2019, each putting together solid seasons and may become assets to a playoff team.

While neither of these players is having an All-Star caliber season, they could be an improvement over what some contending teams are currently running onto the field. After all, you can never have too much pitching, and Frazier can still knock a few home runs out of the park.

If New York packages all three of these players together, they could fetch a solid haul that can help restock the farm system and improve the team in the future. The only question is “which team needs what the Mets are looking to sell?”

I believe I have found a team that could look to acquire the services of a few current Mets, and that team is the Cleveland Indians.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 05: Jason Vargas #44 of the New York Mets celebrates his shutout against the San Francisco Giants with teammates Todd Frazier #21, Adeiny Hechavarria #11, Amed Rosario #1 and Pete Alonso #20 at Citi Field on June 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Cleveland acquires Zack Wheeler, Jason Vargas, and Todd Frazier

As things currently stand, the Indians are sitting in second place in the AL Central, behind the Minnesota Twins, and own the top AL Wild Card spot. Despite there competitiveness in 2019, they do have a few holes on their roster.

The biggest issue that the team has had this season is their starting pitching, as only 3 players have made more than 10 starts for the club, and they have dealt with inconsistent play and injuries from many key pitchers, most notably Corey Kluber.

Acquiring Wheeler and Vargas to help beef up the rotation would be a big improvement over what they are currently running onto the field.

Neither of them is putting up the flashiest of numbers at the moment, but they would provide consistency. As we saw last season, Wheeler can look like a dominant pitcher in the second half of the season. Last year he posted a 1.74 ERA in August and September of 2018.

As for Vargas, he has had his best years as a member of an AL team, particularly playing in the Central Division as a member of the Kansas City Royals, so a return to the division and some familiar batters could improve his performance as well.

Todd Frazier fits into this because he could provide depth at both first and third base. He is a solid right-handed option to serve as the DH for the tribe.

For the 2019 season, Frazier is known around the league to be a power hitter and is currently hitting .304 against left-handed pitchers, so he would be an upgrade over most of their current options on the bench.

As all three of these players are set to be free agents following the season, I would advise to Mets to also sweeten the deal and pay out the remainder of Vargas and Frazier’s salaries for the final two months of the season.

Doing this would give Cleveland more flexibility salary-wise to continue to acquire talent to aid their World Series aspirations. In return, the Mets could receive a better haul of prospects.

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 07: Daniel Johnson #71 of the Cleveland Indians poses for a photo prior to the spring training game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 07, 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

New York acquires LHP Sam Hentges and OF Daniel Johnson

Personally, I’d rather the Mets recieve quality over quantity in regards to minor league prospects.

In this case, as they are sending over three major league players to Cleveland and paying the way for the two of them with larger contracts, I would be perfectly satisfied with the Mets receiving two of their top 25 minor league prospects.

The player with the biggest potential would be left-handed starting pitcher Sam Hentges, Cleveland’s 10th ranked prospect. Hentges is a 22 years old southpaw with a big bodied 6 foot 6′ 245 LB frame.

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Despite being drafted in 2014, Hentges is currently in Double-A, as he missed a lot of time after requiring Tommy John Surgery in 2016, and missed much of the following year. He had a breakout season in 2018, leading the Class A Advanced Carolina League in strikeout rate (9.3 per nine innings) and ranking second in ERA with a 3.27.

His fastball sits at the low-to-mid 90s, along with a solid curve ball and a cutter as his off speed options, and is currently trying to develop his change-up. As a starting pitcher, he is a work in progress but possesses a lot of raw talent and could develop into a very reliable major league player.

Daniel Johnson is the Tribe’s 22nd ranked prospect and is nearly major league ready. He is a left-handed outfielder who is capable of playing all three positions.

At 23 years old, Johnson began the 2019 season in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A back in June. Between the two teams, he is batting .288 with a .367 OBP with 15 home runs, 60 RBI and 11 stolen bases.

Oddly enough, he actually improved on his batting average after being promoted to Triple-A, as he is batting .314 with a .389 OBP in 47 games with Columbus. Despite his success, Cleveland currently has a crowded outfield full of young players and may be willing to part with Johnson in order to make a playoff push this year.

So in summary, the Indians get two solid starting pitchers and a right-handed power hitter, along with salary relief in exchange for a project pitcher with a big upside and a Triple-A outfielder.

The Mets will restock their farm system with two quality prospects and free up room on the big league roster to give some younger players a chance to play, while the Indians will have a solution their struggling starting rotation.

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Home / New York Mets News

The 2019 trade deadline is approaching quickly and the New York Mets will need to sell. One deal they should consider would send a package of three major leaguers to the Cleveland Indians for prospects.

Cleveland acquires Zack Wheeler, Jason Vargas, and Todd Frazier

New York acquires LHP Sam Hentges and OF Daniel Johnson

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