Mets: Four bats the Mets might trade for a starting pitcher this offseason

The New York Mets are going to need to bolster their starting rotation this winter and trading one of these four position players might be the only way to do it.

Send us arms! The New York Mets need some starting pitching help in 2021. Luckily for them, the club has a few bats they can move this winter to make it happen.

Before I get chased out of the Tristate Area with pitchforks and plastic giveaway bats, I’m not condoning trading any of these players. With that in mind, I still think it’s always worth making a phone call around the league to see what’s available.

I expect the Mets to have a more active winter on the trade market than they did the last time snow fell. Aiming to acquire a good starting pitcher, these four Mets could headline a deal.

Mets trade candidate J.D. Davis

J.D. Davis snuck into our hearts in 2019 and has remained there in 2020. He’s clearly a big league hitter who seems to now have even more value in the field than he did one year prior.

Although not quite Gold Glove-caliber, Davis looks like a fine third base option for the Mets moving forward. He’s also decent enough in left field if that’s where his future lies.

Davis is still a trade candidate because of how the rest of the roster shapes up. The Mets have other options at the positions he plays. Because of this, he’s one of my winter trade candidates.

Davis is still affordable and someone seemingly on the rise. I adore his right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup. On days or weeks when Pete Alonso isn’t performing, he’s there to pick the team up.

Regarded as the best trade pickup made by Brodie Van Wagenen since becoming the GM in Flushing, I would put Davis as the least likely of these candidates to get traded.

Mets trade candidate Brandon Nimmo

We’ve probably heard all of the negative things about Brandon Nimmo before. Some people still don’t believe he’s an everyday player. Despite some pedestrian batting average numbers, he still finds ways to reach base. Mostly, it’s via the walk.

Nimmo has some obvious shortcomings which have made him a Mets trade candidate for more than a year. After his terrific 2018 season, some wanted the club to sell him high and cash in. Others preferred to watch the happiest man in baseball develop further.

The 2019 campaign was a bit of a wash because of injuries. In 2020, we have seen Nimmo is one of the best OBP guys in baseball. This is harder to find than some people make it out to be.

At the beginning of this season, it didn’t seem like the club was willing to commit to any one player in the leadoff role. Nimmo seems to have won the job thanks in large part to how much he visits first base.

It’s an intangible not every player brings to the diamond. Making pitchers work deeper into the counts and putting pressure on the opponent in doing so make Nimmo incredibly valuable to the Mets.

So, why the heck would they trade him?

Nimmo is more of a corner outfielder than an actual center fielder. The Mets have other options in the corners and no “true center fielder” with the same offensive skills as Nimmo or anyone else on the club.

The trouble with trading Nimmo is that he might be the best center field option they have when you combine bat and glove. Even as a liability on defense, he can do enough in other ways to show his value.

No matter how sweet we get on Nimmo, there’s always a chance he ends up in a new city this winter.

Mets trade candidate Amed Rosario

A late entry into this topic is the Mets shortstop of the present and future, Amed Rosario. Or so we thought.

Rosario has not been very good in 2020. I think he gets a pass for it. I’m not going to judge what anyone does in such a weird season.

But there is a possible serious competition brewing at the position we thought was his for good. Andres Gimenez is playing some exciting baseball and making a case that he should get some playing time over Rosario. Even Luis Guillorme has out-hit Rosario in 2020, making for some tough decisions going forward.

Rosario’s heels were never fully dug in at the shortstop position. We knew about Gimenez for years and he’s not even the best prospect at the position. That title belongs to Ronny Mauricio, yet another talented young man in the Mets system hoping to field grounders between second and third for a decade at Citi Field.

We know from past trade rumors that Rosario is someone teams had an interest in. I recall previous rumblings about how his name came up in talks for J.T. Realmuto and Francisco Lindor. In this hypothetical scenario, I’m not looking to acquire a big-name bat. I just want a starting pitcher who can give me five or six good innings.

Rosario could help get that done. He’s still young and has shown promise. I do think, however, if he headlines a one-for-one trade the Mets would end up with a pitcher that looks more like a salary dump veteran than a core piece to their future.

If that’s all they can get, I might have to pass and figure something else out.