1 Mets trade deadline deal Brodie Van Wagenen, Zack Scott, and Billy Eppler would've made

The MLB trade deadline is over but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun thinking about what some of the past New York Mets General Managers would’ve done. Everyone in the GM office has made at least one critically bad trade during their tenure. Let’s meet our contestants.

We bring back Brodie Van Wagenen who was around for the 2019 and 2020 Mets season. Zack Scott, whose interim status with the Mets ended before the 2021 season was over, represents that season. Finally, coming out of his 2024 suspension, we have Billy Eppler whose two trade deadline appearances had warring results.

If any of these three were suddenly put in the GM chair for the Mets, what kind of a deal would they have made?

Brodie Van Wagenen trades way too many prospects for Jazz Chisholm

This trade is a mock of his most infamous deal, the one for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. It’s also a bit of a tongue-in-cheek remembrance of his worst free agent signing, Jed Lowrie.

Van Wagenen had a knack for adding players to the Mets roster who weren’t necessary. In 2019 alone, he made the trade for Cano and free agent signing for Lowrie. The team already had the infield covered. Neither addition was needed.

Equally unneeded would be a trade for Jazz Chisholm. The ex-Miami Marlins infielder/outfielder turned New York Yankees third baseman goes to the Mets in exchange for way too many prospects. Pick three the Mets don’t need and another two they do and you have your trade package BVW would have made.

Chisholm is the pick here because he is a ROC Nation client. Along with filling the Mets roster with unnecessary players, Van Wagenen stayed loyal to those he worked with from his time as an agent. Bringing in Chisholm would probably also include a contract extension. Where would he play? Let the manager figure it out after Chisholm recovers from a lengthy injury suffered while shaking hands with someone in a Grimace costume.

Billy Eppler trades Dedniel Nunez for Jesse Winker

Billy Eppler experienced two very different MLB trade deadlines with the Mets. In 2022, it was as a buyer. The next year, he sold. We have to give him credit for how he added to the farm system in 2023. This doesn’t save him from ridicule of what happened a year prior when every deal he did make turned sour.

There isn’t a singular bad trade of Epplers we immediately think of. We made quite a couple worth mocking in a mock trade. This one hones in on the Daniel Vogelbach deal.

Fake Eppler sends the Washington Nationals reliever Dedniel Nunez for Jesse Winker. A currently useful big league reliever on the shelf with an injury, it’s akin to the Mets sending Colin Holderman to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Vogelbach. We still get Winker but it creates a new hole on the roster.

In a bonus trade, Eppler sends Danny Young plus three prospects to the Detroit Tigers for Andrew Chafin. More of a mockery of the Darin Ruf trade, the Mets bring in someone who statistically isn’t a great enough upgrade at a high cost while also pulling the plug on another useful player, Young.

Which former Mets General Manager messes up the team most? Not necessarily bad moves, each is a little short-sighted.