Five blockbuster Mets trades the team should consider this winter

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Construction crewmen work to install the New York Mets logo on top of a new entryway to the stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, as part of the renovations being completed at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. Workers were seen installing seats, pouring concrete on the outside walkways, and adding signage around the stadium as the team works out on the backfields during the start of spring training.Tcn Mets A1 04 /

The New York Mets have the opportunity this offseason to make a blockbuster trade for a star player to improve the club with the arrival of new ownership.

For all of us New York Mets fans, this offseason almost feels like Christmas came early. With a new billionaire owner in Steve Cohen taking complete control of the reigns as soon as next month and with more of an analytical approach taking place in the front office, it’s exciting to think of all of the possibilities that can happen not only this offseason but for future seasons to come. There is a new sense of hope and optimism that seems to have been missing from fans a big market franchise for a lengthy period of time.

When looking towards this upcoming winter there are a few big-name players that may be dangled on the trade market that could be fitting for the Mets.

While the Mets will certainly be looking to upgrade their roster at multiple positions, it’s very tough not to envision Steve Cohen wanting to open up the checkbook and make a big splash move in his first season with the organization. It also doesn’t go without saying that the Mets will now be able to operate with a big market budget that can afford them to take on a bigger superstar and pay them, which is something we haven’t been very accustomed to in a very long time.

I wanted to dive into five potential players who could be available and would be the centerpiece of a major blockbuster trade this offseason with the Mets.

Each one of these players fills a need for the Mets in some aspect and would also make for the big impact move that many fans are believing will be made this winter.

CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 05: Francisco Lindor #12 of the Cleveland Indians jokes with a teammate while in the on-deck circle during the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Progressive Field on September 05, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Shortstop Francisco Lindor

Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor will be one of the hottest names to monitor this entire offseason as he enters his final season under contract with the Indians. The Puerto Rican shortstop is highly regarded as the best shortstop in the game currently and the Indians’ front office has made it known in many ways that he will not be getting a long-term deal. It’s obviously not a talent issue but a budget issue.

While the Mets currently have two young shortstops on their roster in Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez, it’s fair to say neither player has the established pedigree of the 26-year old Lindor, and Lindor would immediately slide in as one of the main faces of the Mets franchise. That’s not a knock on either Rosario or Gimenez as both players have the potential to be very good players for years to come, but with Lindor, you would be receiving the best player at his position in the entire league.

One of the key parts of this move is the Mets would have the ability to pay Lindor top dollar which is something Cleveland’s brass is unable to do, and he would anchor the middle infield for the next decade. While the players that the Mets will have to send to Cleveland to acquire the services of the switch-hitting shortstop will not be cheap, the Mets in return would be receiving a four-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner that would signal the beginning of a new era in Flushing.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 26: Kris Bryant #17 of the Chicago Cubs hits a grand slam in the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 26, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /

Third Baseman/Outfielder Kris Bryant

The Chicago Cubs will have some major decisions on their hands this offseason that pertains to their big core of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez, and Kyle Schwarber. Rizzo who has a $16.5 million club option this season is their first priority to evaluate. However, Bryant, Baez, and Schwarber all are eligible for free agency after next season and it’s becoming increasingly likely that not all four players will be in Cubs uniforms together past 2021.

The 28-year old Bryant who has had his own issues with the Cubs front office including a service time manipulation battle in court, as well as an incorrect report that had emerged a couple of seasons ago that had stated he turned down a contract worth $200 million has only furthered the divide between player and organization. Due to those issues and Bryant having his worst statistical season in a Cubs uniform in 2020, he is a prime trade candidate this offseason and the Mets should be interested in acquiring his services.

The Mets have been using a combination of J.D. Davis, Todd Frazier, and Jeff McNeil to hold down the third base position over the past couple of seasons, but acquiring the former National League MVP would solidify the hot corner for the better part of the next decade. Bryant also carries positional versatility as he can also play either corner outfield spot in a pinch for the Mets.

Bryant would add a right-handed bat in a lefty dominant Mets lineup as well as offer a clear answer at the third base position that the Mets have not had since David Wright’s retirement. It also doesn’t hurt that Bryant carries a career robust .300 batting average at Citi Field.

Bryant will be arbitration-eligible for the final time in 2020 and surely is a prime bounce-back candidate after his down year on the north side of Chicago. The four-time All-Star would do well with a change of scenery and a fresh start with a new organization, which the Mets can offer him in 2021 and beyond.

DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 16: Salvador Perez #13 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates after a win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on September 16, 2020, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

Catcher Salvador Perez

The Mets will have a glaring hole at the catching position this offseason, and many insiders are connecting the Mets to engage in a bidding war this winter for free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto. Yet if the Mets do not choose to move in that direction, or if Realmuto decides to return to Philadelphia the Mets should pick up the phone and give the Kansas City Royals a call on their six-time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez.

If the Mets are looking for an instant impact behind the plate both offensively and defensively, the 30-year old Perez would be a fantastic fit. Like Realmuto, Perez will be 30-years old on Opening Day in 2021 and he is entering his final year under contract in a Royals uniform in 2021, which may allow the Royals to consider trading Perez as they are currently stuck in the middle of a rebuilding process.

The five-time Gold Glove Award winner is coming off another stellar 2020 campaign both offensively and defensively despite missing time with a fluid-filled particle in his left eye. It can be argued that Perez is the best overall backstop in baseball, and with his well-regarded personality in the clubhouse, he can bring an additional element of leadership to a Mets pitching staff that includes two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.

Perez would be a candidate for an extension should the Mets acquire him and it would also give the Mets time to properly develop top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez, who is still around three seasons away from making an impact at the Major League level. This is a win-now move that would upgrade the Mets catching position with a proven winner and arguably the best catcher in baseball for the next three to four seasons before handing the reigns to Alvarez.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 13: Lance Lynn #35 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the first inning at Globe Life Field on September 13, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Starting Pitcher Lance Lynn

The Texas Rangers have begun a rebuilding process and one of the most valuable trade chips they have available to dangle this winter is starting pitcher Lance Lynn. The Mets had shown interest in trading for the 33-year old starting pitcher before this season’s trade deadline but no trade had come to fruition, with the Mets instead trading for third baseman Todd Frazier and Catcher Robinson Chirinos from the Rangers.

That does not mean that the Mets may not be interested again in Lynn this offseason. The Mets are going into the winter with only Jacob deGrom and David Peterson as the only healthy starting pitchers on the depth chart. Noah Syndergaard will be coming off reconstructive Tommy John surgery and there is no timetable yet on when he will be eligible to pitch in games next season. The jury is also still out on Seth Lugo’s role next season.

Insert Lance Lynn. Lynn was considered the best starting pitcher available on the trade market this season, and with him staying put he is now regarded as one of the top starting pitchers available this winter. Lynn will be entering the final year of his contract in 2021 at an affordable $8 million and would slot nicely as a second or third option in the Mets rotation next season depending on how everything shakes out the rest of the offseason.

A key stat regarding the former All-Star, since 2012 Lynn has made at least 29 starts every season in the majors and carries a career 3.57 ERA which is huge considering the inconsistency the Mets have battled in the starting rotation over the past couple of seasons. Lynn would instantly provide the Mets a big upgrade in the rotation if he is acquired, but he is just one piece of the puzzle in upgrading the starting pitching staff this winter.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 29: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins is introduced prior to game one of the Wild Card Series between the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros on September 29, 2020 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) /

Center Fielder Byron Buxton

Every offseason there is always a Major League player or two that gets traded as a change of scenery candidate, and this upcoming winter I can see Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton as one of those trade possibilities. The Mets have a problem in center field that they will be looking to solve this offseason, and it’s no sure bet they run Brandon Nimmo back out there who is a natural corner outfielder as a solution in 2021. Why not take a chance on the former 2nd overall pick in Byron Buxton?

The main issue with the 26-year old Buxton has always been health. Buxton has only played more than 100 games once in his entire big league career which was back in 2017. Nonetheless, when you watch Buxton play, he is one of the most dynamic players in all of baseball and a move away from Minnesota where he has failed to meet expectations and seems to have grown uncomfortable could do him a service.

There also have been a few rifts between Buxton and the Twins organization with the latest mini-controversy surrounding his benching in game two in the Wild Card Series against the Houston Astros. It would not be shocking at this point to see the Twins completely move on from their center fielder this offseason, and allow Buxton to start with a clean slate elsewhere.

Buxton who is a Gold Glove winner back in 2017 would upgrade the Mets defensively and could also provide them with a dynamic player who has yet to reach the full potential that made him the number two overall pick in the MLB Draft back in 2012. Buxton also is not a free agent until 2023 which would allow the Mets two full seasons of control.

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While this is purely speculation and there is no sure bet Buxton is available, if the Mets can buy low or include Buxton in part of another much larger trade with the Twins, or even as part of a multi-team trade they should absolutely explore the possibility as Buxton could provide a huge value if he can stay healthy.

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