A last-minute NY Mets trade to ease our starting rotation concerns

The New York Mets’ starting rotation is already starting to show cracks in the armor, and we aren’t even a week into Spring Training yet. Both Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea will likely open the year on the team’s injured list, taking two key rotation arms out of commission for now. If the Mets feel they need to add another rotation arm before the start of the regular season, there could be one notable name they pivot to, and that would be St. Louis Cardinals’ right-hander Erick Fedde, and this mock trade might get the job done.

Fedde was once a top prospect for the Washington Nationals, being drafted in the first round of the 2014 draft. However, he never found his footing in the Major Leagues, posting both an ERA and FIP above 5.00 from 2017 through 2022. After a stint in South Korea, where he won KBO’s Choi Dong-Won award (KBO’s equivalent to the Cy Young award) and league MVP, Fedde signed a two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox last winter.

He pitched well upon his return to the United States, working to a 3.30 ERA, 3.86 FIP, and 1.16 WHIP in 177.1 innings for the White Sox and the Cardinals after getting traded at the deadline. His 21.2% strikeout rate was slightly below league average, but he put up an above-average 7.2% walk rate and 1.02 HR/9. He was also slightly above average at limiting hard contact with an 88.6 MPH exit velocity (56th percentile) and 7.6% barrel percentage (52nd percentile). Fedde is only owed $7.5 million in 2025 as well.

A potential last-minute trade opportunity for the NY Mets.

However, there are some things that bring his value down. 2025 is the last year of his contract, making him just a one-year rental. He also just turned 32, so he isn’t particularly young. The right-hander also had a SIERA (4.19) and xFIP (4.12) hovering around 4.00 instead of closer to the sub-3.50 ERA he put up last season. This mock trade sees the Mets sending back two mid-tier prospects.

Jacob Reimer was a fourth-round high school pick by the Mets in 2022. The corner infield prospect looked to build upon his promising 2023 campaign, but 2024 was ultimately a lost season, as Reimer dealt with hamstring injuries and only stepped to the plate a total of 95 times. Of the few positives of his 2024, Reimer drew 15 walks and only struck out 14 times in his small sample size of play. Baseball America ranks Reimer as the Mets’ 21st-best prospect, praising the improvements he’s made with his swing and ability to control the strike zone.

The second prospect in this mock trade is backstop Ronald Hernandez. Hernandez, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins in the David Robertson trade in 2023, posted a .261/.355/.356 triple-slash between A-Ball St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. Hernandez only hit five home runs in 445 trips to the dish, has just a .085 isolated slugging percentage, and struck out in about a quarter of his plate appearances, but he also drew a walk 11.7% of the time. A switch-hitter listed at 5’11”, 155-LBS, Hernandez does not project to hit for much power, per MLB Pipeline. But his hit tool projects as average, and he looks like a good defensive backstop.

The Mets might need to make a last-minute acquisition to improve their depth chart. Erick Fedde is the best starting pitcher currently on the trade market and might get moved before the start of the regular season. If the Mets feel that Montas or Manaea could miss more time than expected or suffer another injury, Fedde adds a rotation anchor to the Mets’ rotation.