NY Mets: 1 realistic trade candidate from every team

Orioles

One of the great stories in baseball was the return of Trey Mancini. After missing the entirety of the 2020 season battling Colon Cancer, Mancini came back this season and played in 147 games for the Orioles. In those games, Mancini slashed .255/.326/.432 with 21 home runs and 71 RBI. He has one year of arbitration left on his deal and is projected to make $7.9 million dollars next season according to mlbtraderumors.

With the DH likely coming to the National League, Mancini can slot in and be a productive right-handed power bat in the middle of the lineup. After getting used to the swing of things again I wouldn’t be surprised if Mancini produced numbers closer to the ones in 2019 where he put up an OPS+ of 134.

Red Sox

As a team that will likely be competing for a World Series championship next season, the Red Sox won’t be willing to give up their core for prospects. A player they might be willing to part ways with is Darwinzon Hernandez.

The 24-year-old southpaw went 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA for the Red Sox this season and was an important piece in a shaky bullpen. However, he hasn’t been very involved in the postseason, appearing in only two games when they were out of reach.

He could be a good second lefty in the bullpen next season and the years to come as he has three years of team control remaining.

Yankees

With plenty of changes likely coming this offseason for the Yankees, Gio Urshela’s future in the Bronx is very uncertain. They seem to be leaning towards using Gleyber Torres at second base which would likely move D.J. LeMahieu to third base, Urshela’s position.

This season, Urshela’s offensive production took a step down as he slashed .267/.301/.720 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI. His OPS+ went down from 137 in 2020 down to 96 this season.

While I don’t expect Urshela to be anything above an average hitter, I do expect him to be an elite defender at third base. This season, the Mets’ third basemen, primarily Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis, posted a -15 DRS, the worst in the majors. Urshela is known for having a great glove and would give the Mets likely the best defense on the left side of the infield in baseball playing alongside Francisco Lindor.

With two years of team control left, Urshela can man third base until top prospect Brett Baty is fully ready to take over at that position.

Blue Jays

Another player who can fill an open hole in the infield for the Mets is Cavan Biggio. The Blue Jays are loaded offensively and used Santiago Espinal at third base a majority of the time down the stretch. Marcus Semien is a free agent but I expect the Jays to do everything in their power to retain him coming off of the season he just had.

If the Jays decide to play the outstanding glove of Espinal who is coming off of a great offensive season as well at third base, that leaves Biggio as the odd man out.

Biggio is coming off of a down year offensively in which he slashed .224/.322/.356 with seven home runs and 27 RBI. He only played in 79 games as he missed time due to injury.

Biggio’s biggest strength is his ability to get on base. He was in the 100th percentile in chase rate in 2019 and 2020 according to baseball savant and just finds a way to get on base. He’s no Brandon Nimmo, but he’s good.

Biggio’s versatility would be helpful for the Mets as well. He can play second base, third base, and corner outfield spots.

He won’t be a free agent until 2026 which means his price tag will likely be high but if the Jays for some reason are selling low, the Mets should be all in.

Rays

A player the Rays desperately missed this season coming out of their bullpen is Nick Anderson. In each of the last two seasons, Anderson was the best reliever in a loaded Rays bullpen. Anderson was limited to just six appearances this season as he has been battling through elbow problems.

When he did return, his velocity was down and he looked like a shell of his former dominant self. I expect with a full offseason to recover, Anderson will be able to regain some, if not all of his velocity back. If he can, I don’t see why he can’t be an elite reliever again. The Rays are smart and would only sell low if they feel like there is no chance he regains his old form but I still think the Mets should take a shot on him if the opportunity arises.