Mets Trades: Three players we should expect to get shopped this summer
What will the New York Mets be looking for at this year’s trade deadline? If you think like me, life is mostly a waste of time and we spend far too much time standing in line and catering to people who don’t care about us. You may also believe the Mets will look heavily at upgrading their bullpen.
The Mets have a lot of solid major league depth this season. I really dig what they did with the roster. Other than the bullpen, it’s a solid roster.
This won’t prevent them from shopping some of their big league players. This summer, as we near the trade deadline, these two big league players and notable prospect in the system are my favorites to get traded.
J.D. Davis is the clear favorite for the Mets to trade this summer
Heroes never die nor do trade rumors involving J.D. Davis. The team’s starting third baseman doesn’t seem like someone the front office is prepared to fully commit to. This past offseason’s hottest rumors centered on the team looking at a potential upgrade at the hot corner. They’ll surely return in the summer months when buyers attempt to add talent to the roster.
Even if Davis does perform well for the Mets down the stretch, I expect him to get shopped around. His suspect defense might be too much for them to make any sort of commitment.
Because of his age, affordability, and talent, there should be teams out there looking at Davis as a suitable piece for their ball club. He has hit well in the past and doesn’t look completely cooked.
In fact, Davis might be in the early stages of a promising career.
Even so, of all of the players on the big league roster, it’s Davis you could bet your life on getting shopped around.
Robert Gsellman might be an intriguing piece to another ball club
Robert Gsellman doesn’t really seem to have a place on the 2021 Mets or even on future ball clubs. Once a promising young starter turned reliever, he has been below-average for the last few years. The team is using him as the long-man out of the bullpen this year. When Seth Lugo returns, there’s a chance we see him demoted.
I do think Gsellman can be a good pitcher in the big leagues. He’s not destined to win a Cy Young or steal away starts. On a rebuilding squad, I could see him fitting in as a reclamation project.
Gsellman’s ability to pitch multiple innings shouldn’t be overlooked. A true starter without the results we wanted, he could be a case of a late bloomer. How many relievers are there in baseball right now that failed in one area and then became a solid high-leverage arm out of the bullpen?
The Mets won’t get a whole lot in exchange for Gsellman. Ideally, maybe he can be packaged or swapped for a more proven veteran on an expiring deal.
Let’s say the Pittsburgh Pirates—a 2021 whipping boy for other teams looking for talent—like what Gsellman can do. The Mets shouldn’t hesitate to move on from him if it nets them a more trustworthy arm. Pittsburgh then has someone they can attempt to mold into either a good starter or a reliever they can trade again in the future.
First, Gsellman will need to pitch well for the Mets to have any chance at a return for him.
Mark Vientos is the best prospect the Mets could deal
The Mets did a fine job at not trading away the farm system this winter. Even in the Francisco Lindor/Carlos Carrasco trade, they managed to pick up these two without sacrificing the future.
One of the Mets prospect I think we could see shopped is Mark Vientos. He has been on my radar as a trade piece for several years now. With the presence of Brett Baty in the organization as well, it feels even more likely that we see Vientos shopped around.
Vientos isn’t close to making his MLB debut. One could even argue Baty is on the same timeline or close to it. There’s zero chance the Mets trade Baty this year without truly knowing what he’s capable of. Vientos, on the other hand, isn’t so safe.
At just 21, Vientos has been with the Mets organization since 2017. He has hit well in the minor league without capturing too much hype. The club’s 2017 second-round draft pick has good power but also a poor glove. I’m not exactly sure where he fits into the team’s future plans, particularly if they are high on Baty.
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Many of the best Mets prospects remain a few seasons away from having any sort of major league impact. Vientos could be one of the closer top ten prospects to big league action. Depending on what kind of offers are out there, his path to the major leagues might get directed toward a different city.