3 players who could be traded after Carlos Correa signs and where they could go

Once Carlos Correa is signed, the New York Mets are expected to explore the trade market. They will be looking to accomplish two things. One is to clear roster spots. The other is to find upgrades.

Finalizing a deal with Correa has been the priority for the ball club for—checks last year’s calendar—about two weeks now. You already know the story and we should get things finalized this week. After, could the Mets look to trade one of these guys from the big league roster?

1) The Mets could still trade Carlos Carrasco

We shouldn’t rule out the possibility of the Mets moving on from Carlos Carrasco. There are a couple of scenarios for them to look at. He should have a large number of suitors with teams that missed in the free agent market looking for some solutions. Not much is left to pick from. Some team should be willing to offer a decent piece in return for him.

The Baltimore Orioles look like a club that could use him the most. However, it’s the Minnesota Twins who feel like a more attractive destination. A Carrasco for Max Kepler trade is the simplest to make. The Twins add a veteran arm. The Mets bring in an outfielder to give them a little more depth and maybe even push Mark Canha into a different role.

The trade is certainly not ideal because Carrasco does feel like the fifth-best option the Mets have. Would they go with Tylor Megill or David Peterson in the rotation instead or look to make a separate trade to improve the pitching staff?

I’m not a fan of trading Carrasco, but it does seem like a move they could make. A better trade would be to pair Carrasco with someone else for a better player than Kepler. The difficulty here is finding a team with a bat to spare and a need to win in 2023.

2) The Mets may not see enough playing time for Eduardo Escobar anymore

A natural fit to get traded with Correa on the Mets roster is Eduardo Escobar. The old third baseman for the Mets would move to the bench in a trade. There is playing time for him, but maybe not enough for the Mets to justify keeping him around. Which teams should look at Escobar as a possible answer for a position of need?

The answer is so obvious. The Chicago White Sox definitely have an opening at two of Escobar’s primary positions. As either the starting second baseman or third baseman, Escobar is an improvement for them. He adds some flexibility and brings power to the lineup.

Coming up with a trade involving Escobar to the White Sox is a little more complicated. It would require another piece if we’re looking at Liam Hendriks as the trade target. Previously rumored to be someone the Mets have looked at, he and Eloy Jimenez would be the available White Sox players to target.

If it’s only Hendriks, the White Sox might accept a deal if they can add Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio as well. Each is expendable for New York. Both can help out in 2023.

Adding Jimenez complicates things. Escobar, Vientos, and Mauricio might not even be enough. What about Kevin Parada? Although not prepared to reach the big leagues this year, a package of Escobar, Vientos, and Parada for Hendriks and Jimenez might be something closer to completion. It does raise a question as to where Jimenez plays. Does he push Mark Canha or Daniel Vogelbach to the bench?

Canha and Vogelbach are two less likely trade candidates, but reasonable ones to look at. This last player is definitely getting moved.