Collapsing NL team would make a great trade partner for NY Mets

Ever since Major League Baseball expanded its playoff format in 2022 the trade deadline has seen an oversaturated market of buyers. It’s good for the game to have more teams vying for a playoff spot but also drives the price up for the few sellers. As the New York Mets put on display in 2022, one deadline as sellers can make all the difference in turning around a prospect pool. Less than a month until the deadline, those teams on the bubble are running out of time to decide on how that want to operate.

The Diamondbacks have everything the NY Mets are looking for

One of those teams is the Arizona Diamondbacks. Three games below .500 the Diamondbacks are in the far distance in the NL West and 5.5 games out of the final wild card spot with four teams to jump. It is more likely than not that Arizona will choose to sell and if that’s the case, Dave Stearns should be on the phone right away.

It’s no secret that the Mets will be exploring their options for a bat, reliever and potentially a starting pitcher. The D-Backs could potentially fill all of those needs depending on the asking price. It’s been clearly stated that they’ll be a long list of clubs asking about third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The impending free agent has 31 home runs and 78 RBI in 95 games. Another possibly slightly cheaper option could be Josh Naylor who is hitting .294 in his first season in Arizona. Both players would require more than a couple of prospects for a potential rental situation.

The Mets will without a doubt be acquiring bullpen help before 6 p.m. on July 31st. Arizona possesses some cheaper options in guys like lefty Jalen Beeks or Ryan Thompson. Both player are currently on the injured list but are eligible to return shortly after the All-Star break.

With Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga back in the rotation and Tylor Megill expected to return later this season the Mets aren’t as desperate for starting pitching but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are two more expiring contracts. Kelly is having a solid season having posted a 3.34 ERA in 116 innings. Gallen is having the worst season of his career with a 5.40 ERA. If the Mets can target a way to turn his year around, he would probably come cheaper than Kelly.

If the Mets are going to make any of these big moves, highly touted prospects will be headed to Arizona. It’s the same way the team was able to land Luisangel Acuna, Ryan Clifford and Drew Gilbert at that deadline in 2022. Now it’s just up to the front office to decide if those moves are worth making.