3 ways the Mets can win the 2022 trade deadline
You want to win the World Series more than anything else. A big part of getting that far is to win the trade deadline. New York Mets General Manager Billy Eppler has a lot of resources to come away victorious.
Winning the trade deadline is important. Just ask the 2021 Atlanta Braves. Their strategy was quantity that then became quality. Their NLCS and World Series MVPs were trade deadline additions. Could the Mets see the same fortune fall into their laps?
There are several paths out there to help Eppler get a trade deadline W. Let’s look at three of those options.
1) NY Mets win the trade deadline if they get Juan Soto
Without diving too into detail about the cost, if the Mets land Juan Soto, they’ve won.
It’s a sweepstakes like no other at the trade deadline. Never before or ever again will we see a 23-year-old superstar available midseason.
Needless to say, it wouldn’t be a Mets victory if it cost them too much. Too much would equal giving up parts that would be able to help them win right now. This means burning up the farm system to every extent possible in order to make their team better for 2022.
However it is you feel about Soto ending up in Flushing, there’s little doubt he’d make this team better. It’s a major victory for the Mets even if he doesn’t help them win this year. There is always next season. Then the year after that. But right now, he’s certainly going to improve the lineup.
2) NY Mets win the trade deadline if they get a major bat not named Juan Soto
The addition of Daniel Vogelbach doesn’t quite move the metaphorical needle as far as it needs to go. With this in mind, the Mets will need to do a little more in order to give the fans confidence and secure a trade deadline victory.
Who will the next bat be? Everyone from Trey Mancini to Josh Bell to even J.D. Martinez has appeared in recent Mets rumors. As much as Vogelbach may become a specialty player on the roster, the team might find itself having to carry three players who are essentially first basemen or DHs.
The Mets can blow us all away by acquiring an outfielder along with or in addition to one of those sluggers mentioned above. Someone like Andrew Benintendi doesn’t seem like nor should the team get involved in that unnecessary bidding war. What they need is power and someone to pulverize left-handed pitchers.
While Brandon Drury does fit this description in 2022, he’s not exactly the major bat addition they should exclusively add. He’s a nice addition to Vogelbach to possibly take J.D. Davis’ roster spot away from him.
For a true trade deadline win, the Mets need someone with raw power and more than just this season hanging proving he’s one of the best hitters in the league. Drury+ can work.
3) NY Mets win the trade deadline by loading up with bullpen arms we can trust
Edwin Diaz might be the only relief pitcher the average Mets fan trusts. Colin Holderman was getting there but you know what happened there.
Even with Trevor May on the mend, he’s not exactly completely trustworthy. The Mets need to go hunting for a relief pitcher. If they only have space for one, it needs to be a guy Buck Showalter can count on a ton.
David Robertson’s name is often mentioned as a desirable trade chip by Mets fans. Definitely a guy to take on a late-inning role for them, Eppler would also probably need to add a lefty as well.
Among those options, Andrew Chafin or All-Star Joe Mantiply might be the most enticing. Even a guy like Matt Moore, who has reinvented himself with the Texas Rangers this year in their bullpen, could be good enough.
The names only matter in theory. It’s the results that will truly prove whether or not the Mets won the trade deadline. It begins by making smart moves in the one place that can be hardest to build: the relief corps.
In some cases, getting the hottest relievers is key to winning the whole season. Where can we find this year’s Tyler Clippard and Addison Reed? The Mets could use arms like those in 2022.