2 NY Mets trade rumors the fans should hope come true, 2 we hope becomes gossip

We should hope the Mets rumors of not going after a major bullpen piece is a smoke screen

All of those big name closers rumored to become potentially available at the trade deadline are going to cost a lot. Unfortunately, the Mets probably aren’t going to buy into any. Based on the previously mentioned story in The Athletic, their pursuit seems to involve adding two very good bullpen arms while excluding any of the big ones.

In a nutshell, we can cross over anyone working as a closer at the moment. This means no Emmanuel Clase, David Bednar, or Jhoan Duran. Teams more desperate for an actual closer, like the Philadelphia Phillies, will probably be the ones to pay that toll.

Considering the cost the San Diego Padres paid last year for Tanner Scott and Jason Adam in two separate deals, we can only fathom how much these top closers would cost when they have multiple years of team control. As much as we’d like to understand Stearns’ hesitance, it would be nice to get a head start on finding Edwin Diaz’s replacement when he likely opts out at the end of the year.

The Mets have more prospects than they could ever realistically use in the major leagues. Pitchers, hitters, and occasionally even guys who are doing both, there isn’t a reason to hang onto all of them. The challenge is deciding who is expendable and who isn’t. One trade deadline deal can ultimately define what we think about Stearns in another decade. Although trading away good prospects tends to cut deeper, not doing enough leaves its scars.