Mets could consider trading Matt Adams to an NL team in need of a DH

Plenty of curveballs have changed plans for the 2020 MLB season. One could involve the New York Mets potentially shopping Matt Adams in a trade to a National League team in need of a DH.

One of the more peculiar signings by the New York Mets over the winter was the free agent addition of first baseman Matt Adams. The veteran big leaguer agreed to a minor league pact with the Amazins with a few hurdles in place before he got any regular playing time.

The Mets already have Dominic Smith slotted in behind Pete Alonso at first base. They could conceivably use Yoenis Cespedes there, too, if the need ever arose and the big guy was fully healthy.

There’s nothing wrong with the decision to bring Adams to Flushing. With the DH possibly coming to the National League, he actually becomes more valuable to those teams that chose to pass on him. Suddenly, 15 teams that didn’t expect to need a DH may now have second thoughts about their offseason plans.

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Obviously, there aren’t 15 NL teams out there who lack a suitable DH option. The Mets have their pick of the litter already in-house and other squads have players who could fill the role as well.

The rest of the league, meanwhile, is left a little behind in this department. Adams could be viewed as an upgrade to other options they have, at the very least in a platoon situation.

It’s unlikely the Mets would get a huge haul in return for Adams if they were to trade him away before he even plays a game for them. After all, nobody was willing to give the man a major league agreement over the winter. He is, by no means, the kind of player who would make a franchise rethink everything.

The Mets have no desperate need to trade Adams either. However, with the DH in the NL, his playing time may be even sparser.

Pinch-hitting isn’t something the American League does often. In the National League, we see it mostly with the pitcher’s spot up. A DH in the NL takes away those chances thus limiting the opportunities for a guy like Adams to enter the game as a substitute. He could still start sometimes at first base or DH, but the Mets already have other guys for this role.

Adams is far more likely to ride the pine for days at a time without getting any chances to hit. While a healthy Cespedes will benefit from having the DH in the NL, Adams doesn’t because of where he falls on the depth chart.

What could the Mets expect to get for Matt Adams?

Adams won’t land the Mets anything particularly great, but perhaps there is a need they could fill. I would still like to see them add some speed to the bench. In a heartbeat, I would swap Adams for a guy who can run well and isn’t a complete waste at the plate.

It’s not yet known how big MLB rosters will be in 2020, but we can assume they will include more than the originally expected 26 men. This means teams can carry some extra pieces with them. For the Mets, I would like to see a little more variety on their bench than what they currently have in stock.

Speed is one element missing from the Mets. Johneshwy Fargas is probably the best guy they have in the organization that can get stashed on the bench to pinch-run and swipe bags, but I’m not confident he can do much more.

The market for Adams grows with the added DH in the NL. The supply of guys like him, however, does not outweigh the demand.

This shouldn’t stop the Mets from exploring the idea of ending their relationship with Adams early. If it means adding a missing element to the roster, it’s worth their consideration.

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Adams came to New York in a competition to make the Opening Day roster, likely prepared to settle for a chance to play in Syracuse until needed. If the Mets can somehow parlay his signing into an upgrade they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to make, it’s a big win for Brodie Van Wagenen.