New York Mets: Three possible Amed Rosario trade destinations

Oakland Athletics

The Angels aren’t the only AL West team with a problem at shortstop. The Oakland Athletics’ shortstop of the past six seasons, Marcus Semien, is also now an unrestricted free agent. Oakland is expected to make bringing him back somewhat of a priority, at least more so than Los Angeles with Simmons.

However, if the A’s want to find a cheaper option at short in order to allocate more money elsewhere, Rosario is worth a look. Oakland should be an attractive trade partner to the Mets, as well.

Starting pitcher Frankie Montas wasn’t great in 2020 but was quite effective in his two seasons before that. He, too, would add depth to New York’s rotation and can also come out of the bullpen as a middle innings reliever. Montas will be 28 when the 2021 season begins, is set to make $2 million, and is under team control through 2023.

Relievers Burch Smith and Lou Trivino are worth looking at, as well. Smith, who is 30 years old and under team control for three more years, hasn’t had the smoothest of careers but was excellent after being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 2019 and then again with the A’s in 2020.

Trivino is an even better option. He’s younger (29 years old), is under team control longer (four more years), and has been a better pitcher since making his debut.

Reliever J.B. Wendelken might be the best option for the Mets. He’ll be 28 years old when the season begins, is under team control through the next four seasons, and has been the most consistent of the lot. Wendelken boasted a 1.80 ERA in 21 games in 2020.

There are also a few prospects the Mets could show interest in.

Starting pitcher Grant Holmes is a top-15 prospect in Oakland’s farm system and one of their top-5 pitching prospects. He’ll be 25 years old in March and while he does need to work on his command, he improved significantly in 2019. With an ETA of 2020, it shouldn’t be long until Holmes is ready for the majors, especially if he continues to progress.

Starting pitcher James Kaprielian was deemed to be disappointing early on. He failed to make an impact after the New York Yankees took him in the first round of the 2014 draft.

However, he’s worked at perfecting his craft and has become a borderline top-10 prospect in Oakland’s farm system. Kaprielians’ ETA is 2020, and he was able to feature in two games for Oakland this past season. He’ll be 27 in March and could help the Mets in terms of depth.

Last but not least is RHP Daulton Jefferies, who is also expected to be a starting pitcher. Jefferies is 25 years old and has already made his MLB debut, pitching in one game in 2020. He’s Oakland’s second-best pitching prospect and the organization’s best RHP prospect. The command on his fastball is excellent and he also features a plus changeup.

If the Mets are hoping to acquire young pitchers with high ceilings who can make an impact on the team in the very near future, Oakland is one of the ways to go.