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NY Mets: Top 5 best trade deadline targets ranked

By Ryan Schlachter

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 11: Jonathan Villar #1 and Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets talk with Adam Frazier #26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during a game at Citi Field on July 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 11: Jonathan Villar #1 and Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets talk with Adam Frazier #26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during a game at Citi Field on July 11, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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Jul 18, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets right fielder Michael Conforto (30) celebrates with left fielder Dominic Smith (2) after hitting a two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The start to the second half for the New York Mets is one that many probably didn’t imagine when the All-Star break came. New York sent Francisco Lindor to the IL with an oblique strain, NL MVP front-runner Jacob deGrom to the IL with forearm tightness and lost two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of which came in brutal fashion.

There’s no question that there’s a bit of heightened panic amongst Mets fans and the sense of urgency has increased, even after Michael Conforto’s late-game heroics. Do the Mets trade go all-in for a big bat now given Lindor’s absence? Do they shift their attention to starting pitching with deGrom’s health in question?

Turning to the trade market to make a run for the Mets

As for the trade chips, a former “general manager” for the Mets whose name shall not be mentioned in this article, nor should it ever be uttered, did much to deplete the farm system. That’s not to say the organization hasn’t done a good job restocking over the last year. The Mets front office has indicated that they’re not looking to part with their top prospects in a trade. That doesn’t mean if the right trade didn’t come along, they wouldn’t pull the trigger, especially when you consider that a player like Ronny Mauricio is hard to fit into the lineup moving forward.

What puts the Mets in a unique position this trade deadline is the fact that unlike the other 29 teams around the league, New York wasn’t impacted financially by COVID-19. The ability to absorb money from other teams is a chip that other front offices don’t necessarily have in their deck and it’s why the Mets can be major players for a significant move, or more, before July 31st.

Considering this, there’s a bevy of different names that the Mets have been linked to in rumors, some big and others small, but there are five players that could pay big dividends in the second half if the Mets were to pull the trigger on a trade. Here are the five best trade candidates for the Mets as they approach the deadline.

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