3 NY Mets backup plans if the right trade deadline deal doesn’t come along

David Stearns isn’t about to bend the knee at the trade deadline and give away just anyone. He has to have backup plans in mind. Fortunately for him, there are three New York Mets minor leaguers who appear to be possible solutions to what ails the major league roster most.

If the MLB sellers are too stubborn, calling upon these three players as backups might not be the worst thing for the Mets after the trade deadline.

1) Nolan McLean - rotation or bullpen

Screams for the New York Mets to call up Nolan McLean have echoed for weeks. It’s only natural for fans to desire fresh, young talent. McLean has proven himself almost as much as he can at the Triple-A level to the point where we have the science to bring back the dead horse that has been beaten by calling for his promotion.

Holding steadfastly against the idea of promoting a pitching prospect for a spot start, McLean is more than a starting pitcher candidate for the Mets. As a long reliever few major league hitters will have any familiarity with, he’s a locked up weapon the Mets have refused to unleash.

There’s no guarantee McLean’s minor league success would translate to the majors. There’s also as much a chance he is better than anyone the Mets acquire before the trade deadline.

The important thing with McLean, as Stearns has stated himself, is they don’t want to turn him into a reliever unless they’re ready to commit to it for the rest of the year. One solution is to have him piggyback with Clay Holmes whose ability to go longer than 5 innings is his max.

If the Mets were to utilize McLean as a reliever and suddenly they needed a starting pitcher, they have alternatives. Tylor Megill should be back. They also have Brandon Sproat who couldn’t be any worse than what Blade Tidwell showed them.