Three Mets players many fans are ready to trade away this winter

Aug 10, 2020; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2020; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
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Jul 30, 2020; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 30, 2020; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Mets could have an active winter making trades. If any of these three are dealt, fans might celebrate.

New York Mets fans are loyal, sometimes even to a fault. You give a Mets fan one memorable game and you may win them over for a lifetime.

So, when Mets fans are ready to move on from a player, he probably did something to deserve it. Or in many cases, he wasn’t doing nearly enough.

I think a lot of people expect some major changes to the Mets roster this winter. A part of these changes could be saying goodbye to some familiar names. These three Mets are under team control next year, but a good number of fans are ready to see them put on a different uniform.

For the sake of realism, I have left off Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz off of this list. Instead, I’m looking at more realistic possibilities.

Steven Matz

Steven Matz never did reach his full potential. Each year seems to be more disappointing than the last. This past year reached a new low. Thankfully, the season was over after 60 games.

Matz isn’t necessarily a trade candidate as much as he is someone the team could non-tender this winter. I understand the year was funky. However, to still go 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA, there’s no excuse. Matz was downright awful to watch in 2020.

The 2021 season will be Matz’s final under team control. The relationship is obviously coming to a close. This winter, if many Mets fans have it their way, the team will move in a trade even if it means taking a prospect nobody has high hopes for.

The Mets wouldn’t get much back at all for Matz. One year of control plus a career-worst campaign doesn’t help. Add in that he’s arbitration-eligible and will probably get paid more than his production deserves, the Mets will have an impossible mission to get anything of value back.

We can dream, though. As long as it doesn’t end the same way things did with Travis d’Arnaud, I think Mets fans are ready to move on.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Amed Rosario #1 of the New York Mets at bat against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Amed Rosario #1 of the New York Mets at bat against the Baltimore Orioles at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Amed Rosario

Some fans have been willing to trade Amed Rosario for a few years now. His 2019 performance probably convinced a few to rethink their stance on the young shortstop. After a disappointing 2020 season, those fans and more may be ready to trade him away.

Unlike Matz, Rosario has a ton of trade value. He’s cheap, young, and has shown flashes of talent. The Mets would make a terrible mistake trading him if not for the presence of Andres Gimenez. The rookie infielder outshined Rosario by miles in 2020. It’s possible we see him as the club’s Opening Day shortstop next year, not Rosario.

Rosario is a far more interesting trade candidate than Matz. While we know what Matz is, Rosario remains a mystery. Will he ever develop into one of the league’s top shortstops? We’re going to find out whether it’s with the Mets or someone else.

Fans aren’t yet lining up to trade Rosario away. When considering the team’s great need for starting pitching, a queue begins to form.

Rosario is one of the top trade candidates on the Mets this offseason because they have other options at his position. Along with J.D. Davis, Brandon Nimmo, and Dominic Smith, he’s one of the players on this roster we should hear plenty of trade rumors about this offseason.

Personally, I’m not quite ready to give up on Rosario unless a team is willing to blow me away in a deal. I think someone might. Shortstops are a hot commodity. It’s not every winter someone with Rosario’s promise becomes available.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Robert Gsellman #65 of the New York Mets pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Robert Gsellman #65 of the New York Mets pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the eighth inning at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

Robert Gsellman

A lot of us forget how promising Robert Gsellman’s career began. In 2016, he went 4-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 44.2 innings pitched. All but one of his eight appearances took place as a starting pitcher. It looked like the club may have stumbled upon yet another young talented starting pitcher.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case.

Gsellman struggled in 2017 working as a starter. In 2018, he had a stretch of success pitching in relief. Ultimately, he left many of us feeling underwhelmed. The same thing happened in 2019 minus the promising period where he looked like a possible monster in late innings.

This past year, Gsellman struggled across his 14 innings pitched. The Mets gave him a chance to start and he failed the test.

After parts of five seasons in the major leagues, Gsellman now has 322 innings under his belt. The result is a 4.67 ERA. The promise is gone. Gsellman is just another warm body and someone I’m not sure anyone has much hope of seeing turn into a real threat on the mound.

As far as trade value goes, it’s hard to pinpoint how other teams may feel about him. The Mets would be wise to listen to offers on him. Someone out there that has done their homework might view Gsellman as someone with unlocked talent. I could definitely see a team in a rebuilding phase of the organization willing to give him a whole year to work as a starter. This is something the Mets cannot afford.

Next. Best trade deadline deals in Mets history

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This offseason, we’re probably going to see the Mets make at least one trade involving a familiar face. If it’s any of these three Mets, there won’t be too much rioting.

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