NY Mets: 4 trades for a pitcher to ease our Jacob deGrom injury pain

Jacob deGrom has landed on the 10-day IL with forearm tightness. It’s the worst nightmare New York Mets fans could have experienced. Without him for an extended period of time, the club’s chances at maintaining their lead atop to the National League East feels a whole lot tougher.

Fortunately, this is the time of year when trades happen. The Mets were already in the market for a starting pitcher to slot in at number four or five. Now, they may need someone a little better to hold carry the old during deGrom’s absence from the diamond.

These three pitchers, whether rumored to be available or not, are currently on teams already selling or expected to do so. A combination of rentals and long-term pieces, these starting pitchers are worth looking into.

Kyle Gibson is the All-Star pitcher the Mets could use

There’s a lot to like about Kyle Gibson. He doesn’t burden the payroll whatsoever and he won’t cost nearly as much as some other starting pitchers currently on the trade block. In the middle of an All-Star campaign, he has emerged as the starting pitcher trade candidate every club near the luxury tax should consider.

He might not be the ace we would like to see the Mets acquire. However, I am absolutely in love with the idea of swinging a trade for a guy pitching out of his mind. Right now, this is Gibson.

Signed for next year as well, the addition of Gibson could help the Mets start to build their rotation for 2022. We all know about the uncertainty with the futures of Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard. Gibson could at least give them one more arm in the near future.

I do suspect the Texas Rangers try to weasel a little more out of this trade than they probably deserve. Still, Gibson should be an affordable acquisition for the Mets to survive the absence of deGrom.

Jose Berrios is the unavailable starting pitcher the Mets would need to overpay for

Is Jose Berrios even available for a trade? If you believe the latest rumors, the Minnesota Twins are hanging onto him and everyone else with control through next season.

Ted DiBiase taught us all an important lesson many years ago. Everyone has a price. The Twins have one with Berrios. It’s just a matter of finding out what the cost is.

Berrios is another pitcher that’s more than a rental. Younger than Gibson and possibly yet to reach his peak, he has been talked about for weeks as a possible acquisition for the Mets. The trouble with this is just how willing Minnesota is to let him go. Let’s not forget this is the same franchise that once traded Johan Santana to the Mets and got very little in return.

Like with any other starting pitchers ready to swap uniforms in the next few days, Berrios is not deGrom. Nobody is. This doesn’t mean the Mets shouldn’t go out there and try to stabilize their already shaky rotation.

For what it’s worth, the Twins have a couple of players that could be fits for the Mets. On the mound, Michael Pineda and Kenta Maeda are also potential fits. I put Berrios on this list because he is the best the Twins have to offer. When we’re talking about replacing deGrom, the best is what you look for.

The Cubs are selling and the Mets should think about buying Kyle Hendricks

Excuse me while I kiss the sky and dream of a potential trade between the Mets and Chicago Cubs with Kyle Hendricks as the headliner. Kris Bryant has been the name discussed most with the Cubs. The recent deGrom injury could have the two clubs pivoting to other deals. Is Hendricks available? If clearing salary is on the front office agenda, one of the consistently best pitchers in the National League since 2014 could be the answer.

Hendricks is absolutely a suitable replacement for deGrom. A contender this year for the most wins in the league (but who cares about those from a starting pitcher?), he has done it even with even while contending for the league’s most hits and home runs allowed. You might think this would put his 2021 numbers at a disappointing level. Somehow, he has managed to maintain a 3.65 ERA through 19 starts.

A far different pitcher from deGrom, Hendricks resembles Marcus Stroman much more. He pitches to contact and won’t blow anyone away with strikeout numbers. Somehow, he has been effective in his nearly 200 MLB starts with this strategy. While not deGrom-esque, his lifetime 3.17 ERA is remarkable.

In order to pick up Hendricks from the Cubs, I suspect the Mets would need to drain a bit of talent from their farm system. He is signed for several more seasons to a rather friendly contract. Only $14 million over the next two seasons with a possible $16 million headed his way in 2024, Hendricks will absolutely fill in for deGrom and keep the Mets competitive.