NY Mets starting pitcher trade options if they miss on Trevor Bauer

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: Trevor Bauer #27 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on September 23, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: Trevor Bauer #27 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park on September 23, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 04: Brandon Woodruff #53 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during Summer Workouts at Miller Park on July 04, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Brandon Woodruff

Out of everyone on this list, Woodruff is probably the guy who is the least likely to be traded in my opinion. He has three years of arbitration left before he hits free agency following the 2024 season. But, he is still someone I believe the Mets should show interest in as he is one of the more underrated pitchers in the game.

The 27-year-old went 3-5 with a 3.05 ERA in 13 starts, striking out 91 batters in 73.2 innings pitched. Since debuting in 2017, Woodruff has gone 19-11 with a 3.66 ERA with a 10.0 K/9 and a 2.4 BB/9. Every year he has been in the big leagues he has gotten better. His ERA+ and K/9 have gone up, and his BB/9 and his WHIP have gone down. Woodruff has cemented himself as one of the best pitchers in the game.

The reason the Brewers would even consider trading Woodruff would be because of the direction they are heading in. They have made the playoffs in the last three seasons, but have gotten worse in each of those seasons. They went from 96 wins and a trip to the NLCS in 2018 to 89 wins and a loss in the Wild Card Game in 2019, and then a losing record in 2020 with a loss in the Wild Card Round.

Woodruff has four more years of team control which would run through his age 31 season. The likelihood of the Brewers paying him as a 31-year-old when he hits free agency or extending him seems slim to me. By trading Woodruff the Brewers can retool or grab some prospects who can help them in the near future. They have guys like Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta under contract who can be in their rotation for now.

According to MLB.com, the Brewers have the 29th best farm system in baseball. They can replenish that by trading Woodruff since they are not really in a position to compete for a while anyway. Trading Woodruff would jumpstart that process.

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I do not think the Mets should trade away guys like Francisco Alvarez or Ronny Mauricio in a deal to get him, but if the Brewers would take some mid-level guys, I don’t see a reason why the Mets shouldn’t trade for him. Controllable starting pitchers are so valuable, especially when they are as good as Woodruff is.