The 5 best Mets trade candidates and where they could end up

1) Best NY Mets trade candidate: David Robertson

There’s no place like home. There’s no such thing as too much bullpen help. Mets closer David Robertson is the club’s best trade candidate. He meets all of the criteria. He’s a rental making modest enough money and having a good year. Robertson’s experience as a closer and setup man make him especially valuable. Teams looking for either should consider him.

Robertson has been healthy this year and for the second straight year, he should swap uniforms mid-season. Last year it was going from the Chicago Cubs to the Philadelphia Phillies. Where could the Mets end up trading their Edwin Diaz replacement?

Considering a team is dead if they don’t have a closer, we should look at the clubs in most need of adding one among the serious contenders. While their ninth inning situation isn’t the worst with Will Smith taking over, it’s the Texas Rangers who mustn’t blow their year because of unreliable pitching in the ninth.

The Rangers are stacked offensively and have arguably the deepest rotation in baseball. There isn’t much they need to seek out at the trade deadline other than to add some finishing touches. Having already added Aroldis Chapman, they should be a team that goes out and makes a trade for Robertson.

As excellent as Robertson can be against lefties, he’s good against right-handed hitters, too. The Rangers already have enough southpaws in the bullpen between Smith, Chapman, and Brock Burke. A righty is a must.

If all the Rangers did at the trade deadline was acquire closers from other teams and roll the dice to see how things worked, they’d be in tip-top shape.