NY Mets: 3 trade deadline misses worth chasing this winter in free agency

The New York Mets added Rich Hill, Javier Baez, and Trevor Williams prior to the July 30th trade deadline. An okay trio, Mets fans were hoping for much more.

Say what you want about the roster they’ll war with for the final two months. The Mets did not meet expectations at the trade deadline. The deals they did make could turn out to be the right ones. If they win it all in 2021 and years later we see the prospects they held onto do the same, it’s a massive success!

Surely, there were a couple of names on the trade market you wanted to see the team add in July that ended up staying put or going elsewhere. These ex-Mets trade targets could still end up in Flushing. The Mets pursued them at the trade deadline. This winter, they can chase them in free agency.

Kris Bryant remains the big fish for the Mets to target

I don’t think Kris Bryant ends up with the Mets, but I can’t put this list together without mentioning him. He has been on the club’s radar since the moment Steve Cohen took over as the owner. Everyone knew he wouldn’t remain with the Chicago Cubs. They made sure of that in his rookie year when they held him back at the start of the season to get their extra year of control—which they ended up trading half of away.

Bryant fits a few needs for the Mets. Whether he plays third base full-time, secures an outfield spot, or the team uses him at both on a regular basis, he’s going to remain the top position player everyone who bleeds orange and blue desires.

Add in the fact that Bryant is having a really good year and could potentially become a postseason hero for a new team and we have a megastar hitting free agency.

As exciting as the idea of Bryant in Mets gear may be, I don’t see a deal getting done. Unsure of how he may feel about New York, I think the bigger factor will be money. Someone will overpay for his services and it’s not going to be the Mets.

One wrench thrown in could be a complete change of heart from Steve Cohen. Cautious with his money this past winter with free agents, a disappointing end to 2021 could have the richest owner in the game throwing money at everyone.

Jon Gray could be in the price range of what the Mets want

I like Jon Gray as a pitcher and think a change of scenery from Coors Field could drastically turn him from average into something more. Anyone who has witnessed a single baseball game taking place in Denver knows how far the ball can fly. Despite this disadvantage, Gray has put together a successful career and may even be headed toward some personal bests this season.

Don’t get me wrong; Gray is not the kind of elite-level pitcher that will move the Mets forward. He’s probably best-suited as a fourth starter on this club with a chance to move even higher. I’m really curious to see what kind of offers he ends up getting in free agency because of how wonky pitcher numbers can be when they pitch in Colorado half of the time.

We know the Mets will at least have Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, and Carlos Carrasco under contract for next year. Everyone else is a question mark either because of free agency or minor league options that could help them develop further. David Peterson and Tylor Megill are examples of this.

The Mets definitely do need to add at least one starter this winter. Is Gray the man for it? Likely affordable and with a pretty good home run rate even for a Colorado Rockies pitcher, the Mets’ front office could potentially view him as an arm to overpay for.