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.

Zack Scott trades Brandon Sproat for Tanner Banks and Tommy Pham

When we think of Zack Scott trades, the one that immediately comes to mind was the 2021 deadline deal with the Chicago Cubs. Rising yet injured outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong was sent to Chicago for Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. In this mock-u-trade, he sends Brandon Sproat to the other Chicago team for Tanner Banks and Tommy Pham.

But hey, they have some team control. Tanner Banks would, in reality, go to the Philadelphia Phillies. Tommy Pham was paired with Erick Fedde and is now with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets give up one really good prospect for a so-so reliever and a veteran hitter.

In reality, Pham was probably never a consideration for the Mets because of his comments late last season after he joined the Arizona Diamondbacks. He called the position players the “least hard-working” he has been around. Banks made some sense for the Mets, but with more than enough lefties already on the roster, they didn’t really require the addition of any more.

This fictionalized version of the Mets fails to make the postseason and Sproat is a top 15 prospect within a year. Pham brings back giving the fans a thumbs down and openly talks about it in a postgame press conference. Banks is decent and is eventually traded away by whomever replaces Scott because that’s what Mets General Managers do.