5 musts for the Mets to score an A+ at this year's trade deadline

What the New York Mets do at the MLB trade deadline will make or break their season. Some of the ramifications of the decisions they make could even leak over into next season and beyond. Winning at the trade deadline goes beyond just getting the highest return with giving up the least. Whoever wins the World Series gets the bragging rights. However, there are plenty of A+ grades to go around.

If the Mets want a perfect score at this year’s trade deadline, they must do each of these five things.

1) The Mets must fortify the bullpen with two massive improvements

There’s no excuse here. The Mets need at least two bullpen arms. Righty. Lefty. Ambidextrous. Amphibious. It doesn’t matter. Get better.

This will come with some roster casualties. The Mets will want to keep at least one, possibly two, spots on the roster open for optional relievers. This means players could get DFA’d or even dealt in separate deals to open up room and flexibility.

So far this season, the bullpen has been the longest lasting issue for the team. Season-ending injuries for Brooks Raley and Drew Smith threw a curveball their way. As they continue to find the best internal options they can, the Mets need to remain unsatisfied with whatever they get from the current group. We’ve seen how quickly even high-performers can fall apart. Reed Garrett is not only hurt but also not quite the same stud he was earlier on.

Phil Maton was a nice start. Alex Young was a wise pickup. The Mets are going to need more.