Two NY Mets trade deadline questions with no clear answer

The New York Mets haven’t played like contenders for most of the year, but with three NL Wild Card spots up for grabs and playing well enough where they haven’t bowed out yet, there exists a scenario where they end up buying rather than selling.

The Mets have until August 3rd to fully decide although that deadline comes sooner as trades rarely all come down to the final buzzer. By the last week of July, the Mets need to decide the direction they will head in.

A lot of the discussion has been about selling. What if they buy? If that’s the direction they take, there are two big questions with no clear answer.

Question 1: What could the Mets actually use if they’re buying?

You look at the Mets roster and what is there for them to actually add? Other than first base, which is a mess even if you’re enjoying what Jorge Polanco has done, there aren’t a whole lot of other holes for them. This is assuming Francisco Lindor comes back healthy. A bench bat and maybe a starting pitcher is about all they could realistically use.

There are no open spots in the outfield and the infield is mostly covered. Behind the plate, between a healthy Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens, the only addition they’d need is minor league depth to improve over third-string catcher Hayden Senger.

It’s one of those questions that can’t get answered quickly and is largely dependent on health. Clay Holmes returning in early August would fill one starting rotation need. The Mets could certainly benefit from another (who couldn’t?) but based on last year’s lack of starting pitchers who moved, it’s going to come at a high cost to acquire anyone of significance. This leads into another pretty important question.

Question 2: What could the Mets actually sell to fill this need?

The Mets farm system hasn’t been spectacular this year. The graduation of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing from the minors to the much plus the continued presence of Nolan McLean and return of Christian Scott has given them a youthful big league team. None of them are getting traded. So what can the Mets part with?

Their next best prospects are Jonah Tong and Ryan Clifford. Tong is a fascinating player the team would be selling on a much greater low than the value he had previously. Clifford has a clear path to getting playing time at first base before this season is even through.

A player like Jacob Reimer could become trade bait although he isn’t having a big year with just a .217 batting average in Double-A. Chris Suero is intriguing because of his ability to run well and play both catcher and the outfield. Nick Morabito feels like a realistic trade candidate, but only for a lesser player. Think in terms of Ryne Stanek, Paul Blackburn, or Jesse Winker.

These two questions seem to line up pretty well. The Mets are in a place where the players they already have need to perform in order to give them a chance. This is true because not only are they not going anywhere if the Mets will try to compete, the club also happens to lack the resources to improve.

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