3 stranger things the NY Mets could do than trading Brandon Nimmo

The Brandon Nimmo trade is so fresh it hasn’t even set in. The New York Mets trading such a key player on what felt like an immovable contract set a precedent that no one is safe this offseason. Although players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are locks to remain, nearly everyone else could become victims to Vecna and end up somewhere else.

Trading Nimmo was strange. These three actions and plans would be equally as odd.

Even stranger things the Mets could do after trading Brandon Nimmo

1) Go internal at first base with someone other than Mark Vientos

Mark Vientos has been the default answer whenever anyone questions an internal replacement for Pete Alonso. It’s natural to think he’d move over there considering third base just isn’t for him. What about someone else? In mid-November, The Athletic looked at players beyond Vientos who could step in. Brett Baty and Jeff McNeil were each mentioned. Many have come to the conclusion that Juan Soto will eventually find his way there, too. 

It would be a strange way of filling out the roster to have one of those latter three end up at first base while allowing Alonso to walk and not doing something as bold as sign Munetaka Murakami which just doesn’t seem to fit with what they’ve done so far.

2) Move more than one starting pitcher to the bullpen

Moving any of their starting pitchers to the bullpen would be some admittance of defeat. Clay Holmes was signed to start games and was their most consistent from start to finish. David Peterson burned out and while some fans may be concerned if he can carry the full load of a season, shifting him into a relief role takes away one of your best starters from the beginning of last year. Worry about the change when he’s crashing, not when he’s fresh and can give you quality starts lasting through the 7th inning.

The offseason is the time to get things right. The Mets, with an overcrowded rotation at the moment but some rather unsatisfying choices, do need to make at least one subtraction. Based on the ongoing rumors, it’ll be Kodai Senga who gets dealt. One starter going to the bullpen can help resolve some of their overflow. Doing it with two is unfathomably strange.

3) Trading Francisco Alvarez and going with Luis Torrens at catcher

Francisco Alvarez remains an ongoing Mets project and to give up on him now would be a mistake. He was sent down last season for his bat and defense. The promotion of J.P. Arencibia to the major league coaching staff seems ideal to get the most out of Alvarez moving forward as the two are familiar and yielded good results; but that was also against inferior players in Triple-A.

Nevertheless, going light with Luis Torrens as the catcher would be a choice. He’s not even under contract after this coming year which causes a whole new problem. Torrens has continually shown us he might be the best backup catcher in the game. Ask him to move up the depth chart and you’re going to see a week’s worth of games without much offensive production.