3 NY Mets trade targets and 3 free agents who make too much sense to avoid

3) Trade for Nick Pivetta

Why stop at Imai? The Mets should trade for another arm, too. Swap out Nick Pivetta for Freddy Peralta or Tarik Skubal if you’d like. Pivetta just seems to be more available and less costly. In fact, the San Diego Padres might need to trade him to meet their payroll desires.

Pivetta also makes sense because he’s someone who could get flipped for one of the Mets starters they could subtract. David Peterson and Kodai Senga seem most likely to go. A case could be made for either one to head over to San Diego in exchange for Pivetta.

Pivetta was sixth in the Cy Young vote last year, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA. Always highly regarded yet often someone who was more of a mid-rotation arm, he feels like someone the Mets would love to have in their rotation next season if for no other reason they’re adding a more reliable arm. There’s no fear of Pivetta burning out like there is with Peterson or the same kind of injury concern like with Senga.

Acquiring Pivetta is complicated because he seems to be just one piece in a larger puzzle the Mets could add. The Padres are paying Michael King $25 million this coming year. Was that due to a change of heart or are they determined to trade Pivetta to help pay for it.