3 Cubs players the Mets should already be scouting for a trade

The New York Mets have been off to a red hot start, and thus figure to be one of the league's biggest buyers at the Trade Deadline. Steve Cohen has expressed how much he wants to win and has shown a willingness to spend money, and thus the team will likely be active.

Another team that the Mets should call about trades is the Chicago Cubs. The NL Central appears to have three teams who already have little hope of making the playoffs, and thus should be viewed as sellers. Here are the three Cubs players that the Mets should be calling about.

NY Mets Trade Target: Willson Contreras

One of the thinnest positions in all of baseball is catcher, as very few teams have catchers who contribute on the offensive end. The Cubs have one of the top catchers in all of baseball in Willson Contreras, and he figures to be a sought-after player at the Trade Deadline this year.

Contreras is in his walk year and thus is likely to be traded. As a rental at a premier position that numerous teams will be interested in, he will not come cheap. The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star, and figures to see interest from the Mets, Yankees, Angels, Giants, Brewers, and maybe more.

The Mets signed James McCann to a four-year contract last offseason, but he has not lived up to expectations, and is likely to miss extended time with a fractured hand. The complication with trading for Contreras would be that both McCann and Tomas Nido are out of minor league options, so the team would have to let one of them go.

Contreras' standing as a rental makes him more attractive to the Mets who have Francisco Alvarez waiting in the minor leagues and could be up in the Major Leagues as early as sometime next year. While it is likely that he will be too expensive for the Mets to trade for, he is clearly a player the team should explore due to how much of an upgrade he would be, for a team hoping to make a deep playoff run.

NY Mets Trade Target: David Robertson

Another player on the Cubs who could be of interest to the Mets is David Robertson. Robertson was one of the better relievers in all of baseball for the majority of his career, but since 2018 he had not been the same pitcher, and it appeared that age had began to catch up with him.

However, Robertson joined the Cubs this offseason, and not only has he excelled early on in the season, he has been named to closer for the Cubs, and has been the best reliever in their bullpen. Robertson is now 37 years old, but he has playoff experience, and experience pitching in several different roles in a bullpen.

Combine his age, experience and his resurgence on the mound, and it's easy to see why Robertson is an ideal trade piece for the rebuilding Cubs. As an older reliever who hasn't pitched this well over the last few years, Robertson may not bring in a ton of value for the Cubs, but they can definitely get something back for him. It's also possible that they package him in a Contreras trade to ensure they maximize their return in that deal.

Whether or not Robertson can maintain his success this year remains to be seen, but if he can he will continue to build his trade value, and he could be a strong addition to the Mets' bullpen, which is in need of a reinforcement.