Mets: Best trade partners to find pitching in exchange for a bat

The New York Mets need to upgrade their pitching staff this winter. These four teams had plenty of pitching in 2020 without much offense. Is there a deal to make?

When we think about possible trades the New York Mets can make this winter, the most obvious matches are the teams in need of some offense with pitching to spare. The Mets are loaded with offensive talent but lack the starting pitching needed to go the distance.

Using the 2020 totals of runs allowed and runs scored by each squad, I have tried to find some balance. By choosing teams with worse offenses than the Mets and better pitching, I have decided on four squads.

Although there may not be an obvious trade for the Mets to make, it’s worth calling up these opposing GMs to see what they’re willing to sell.

Cincinnati Reds

In 2020, the Cincinnati Reds had one of the league’s lowest runs per game total. They averaged 4.05 per game which was only better than the two worst teams in Major League Baseball; the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers.

The Reds still managed to climb their way into the expanded playoffs by allowing 4.05 runs per game. The club’s lack of balance from the mound to the plate was apparent.

The Reds have plenty of familiar names on their roster. Joey Votto is still there, but like many of his teammates, he struggled in 2020.

The club had only one batter with at least 100 plate appearances hit above .250. Our good friend Jesse Winker, at .255, was it.

Meanwhile, the starting staff and bullpen were quite awesome for the Reds. Although they are losing Trevor Bauer, the team has several other candidates the Mets could potentially look into.

From the bullpen, there’s Raisel Iglesias and Amir Garrett are the obvious coveted arms that would look great in blue and orange. As far as starters go, I’m not sure Cincinnati is ready to part with anyone. Sonny Gray was a travesty with the New York Yankees. Even if he was available, the Mets might not want to touch him anyway.

Although there is no starting pitcher to snag, it would be interesting to see the Mets pursue one of the Reds’ bullpen arms.

Cleveland Indians

The Mets and Cleveland Indians have been longtime potential trade partners. The former have been in need of some starting pitching help for a few years now. The latter could use a huge boost to their outfield production.

Even with the Indians trading Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger in back-to-back playoff pursuits, they still have pitching to spare. It may not be at the same level. However, there is one man on the Indians’ staff I think the Mets could snag.

As I profiled previously, Carlos Carrasco is a veteran hurler in Cleveland the team may look to move this winter to shed some salary. He has been one of the league’s most consistent starters for years now. Seemingly fully healthy again, he’s not too old to be cooked and could give the Mets some fantastic numbers from the back of their rotation.

Carrasco alone cannot improve the Mets’ starting rotation. Paired with one of the top free agent starters, I’m beginning to like what I see.

Two logical trade candidates the Indians might desire are J.D. Davis and Brandon Nimmo. Each can play the outfield with Davis having a little more flexibility in his glove. Straight up for Carrasco, it doesn’t really work. The Mets would need to get a little more back consider the money exchanging hands as well.

Cleveland allowed the fewest runs per game in 2020 at just 3.48. Their bats, however, failed to keep pace. They were tied with the fifth-fewest runs per game at 4.13.

I’m old yet even older are the people that remember when the Indians last won a championship. The year was 1948 and my parents weren’t even alive. This might not be the year the club gets desperate. But it definitely may be one where they are willing to make any trade possible to lower the team payroll.

Milwaukee Brewers

Yet another playoff team that fits into this spectrum, the Milwaukee Brewers were held together by some fantastic pitching in 2020. Unfortunately for them, the team’s offense didn’t show up.

Among those with 100 plate appearances of more, Jedd Gyorko was their best hitter. He was the only one with an OPS above .800. Former MVP Christian Yelich hit just .205 in what was a surprisingly unproductive season from the star outfielder.

Examining their roster, the Brewers have some openings for upgrades on offense. Do they have some pitching to trade the Mets?

Milwaukee scored the fourth-fewest runs per game in 2020 at 4.12 per game. Their pitching wasn’t elite, allowing 4.40 per game this past season. They were much closer to the middle of the league than they were the top. So, expecting them to have an arm to deal to the Mets might be asking a little too much.

The Brewers don’t have a starter for the Mets to necessarily target, but we can once again debate whether or not the club can pluck a reliever from the staff. Josh Hader has been mentioned in plenty of trade rumors over the last two seasons. With the rise of Devin Williams, could he be more available than ever before?

If not Hader, Brent Suter might be someone that would look good in orange and blue. A big leaguer since 2016, Milwaukee seems to have shifted him into a bullpen role. The 31-year-old lefty has now had two straight awesome years pitching in relief for the Brewers. Although age might not be on his side, he has only logged a little over 250 innings.

Suter seems like a player the Mets could acquire. As an elite-level reliever with starter potential, he’s a name I would keep an eye on in their pursuit of building a better pitching staff.