5 belated holiday gifts NY Mets fans will gladly accept from David Stearns

No matter what holiday you celebrate this time of year, all New York Mets fans share one thing in common: a belief that the team needs more. They’ve been one of the most active ball clubs out there in terms of additions and subtractions. Mostly, it has been the latter.

We’re in the middle of the holiday season and hitting refresh on the team’s depth chart yields no solution. The offseason is young, free agents remain, and trades will help reshape the roster.

Your holiday gifts may have already been unwrapped, but the Mets can deliver a few belated presents for the fans.

1) Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, any kind of ace

The Mets aren’t finding their ace solution in free agency. It’s going to take a trade. The two most obvious names to have circled on the wish list are Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta. The subject of plenty of trade rumors this offseason, they’re just two examples of what the Mets should aim to claim on the trade market.

Will the Mets actually pull this off? It won’t take a miracle, just a lot of frankincense, myrrh, and gold in terms of prospects.

The Detroit Tigers have been iffy about trading Skubal. It’ll undoubtedly cost the Mets two significant prospects and maybe a MLB-ready player as well. For the best pitcher in baseball, it’s a fair ask.

Peralta is maybe only slightly more sensible to get traded because the Milwaukee Brewers have done similar things in the past. Trading Corbin Burnes a year before his lame duck season proved they can compete while subtracting a significant part of the roster.

The Mets should remain open to other options as well. For what it’s worth, Nick Pivetta is not an ace. He’d be a nice addition, but one of two they should make.