Mets: This trade proposal for Harrison Bader could make sense

A potential trade proposal involving the New York Mets had been written up by Abbey Mastracco of Bleacher Report this week in an article regarding, “Five MLB Trade Proposals That Would Be a Win-Win for Both Teams.” According to Mastracco, the deal that makes the most sense for the Mets is a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for center fielder Harrison Bader. The full trade is as follows below.

On the Mets end, they would be receiving a 26-year old center fielder who grew up in the Bronx which would be a fitting homecoming of sorts. Bader is highly regarded for his defensive abilities however he has a career .234/.322/.399 slash line in his four seasons with the Cardinals to this point.

However, this particular move would be a cheaper alternative than signing Jackie Bradley Jr. in free agency as the Mets would have club control of Bader until 2024. It’s also interesting to note their similar career offensive numbers as Jackie Bradley has a career slash line .239/.321/.412. Since Bader’s debut in 2017, Bader has a very slightly higher Wins Above Average (WAA) number at 3.3, while Bradley is at 3.2.

A recent article has proposed the Mets trade for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Harrison Bader to fill their need in center field.

This trade for the Mets would also potentially contain higher upside with acquiring Bader than a Jackie Bradley Jr. signing, as for the most part you know what type of player you will be receiving with Bradley due to his larger sample size. Should the Mets make a move for Bader they would believe there is still untapped potential offensively, while also receiving a prime defender in center field.

It’s also important to note that Bader also has a strong pedigree as he was previously ranked as a top-five prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system, and he was ranked as high as number three in 2016 by MLB.com. In addition to his ranking, Bader had an impressive offensive track record in the Minors as well with an overall .284/.351.485 batting line and a really good .836 OPS.

On the flip side of this trade, the Mets would be giving up a proven Major League player in J.D. Davis and an upside arm that they just acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in Yennsy Diaz. While Davis would fit on the Cardinals roster as a potential starting left fielder due to the recent acquisition of third baseman Nolan Arenado, it would leave a gaping hole at third base for the Mets.

Yet the purpose of this article is that Mastracco believes the Mets would sign free-agent Justin Turner to fill the hole at third base, thus leaving Davis expendable to upgrade the center field position. There would be a lot of moving parts to make this deal happen, but on the surface should the Mets make an addition at third base whether it’s Turner or another player, it is a move that makes sense.

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I personally would make this trade only if the Mets made an addition at third base first. I don’t believe dealing Davis for a center fielder solves anything at this point, as it would leave the Mets with another need to fill with Spring Training right around the corner. The potential of Bader as the future center fielder of the Mets is tantalizing, but the order in which the moves happen is very important in my opinion.