11 Mets starting pitcher trade candidates ranked from the bottom to the top

4) NY Mets trade target John Means

A good lefty on a bad team, John Means is someone the Mets have been interested in previously. One of the few Baltimore Orioles trade candidates that could make sense to move this offseason with some real value, he can help fill the desire to add a left-handed starter and do it for a couple more years.

Means is only now reaching arbitration for next season which gives him three full years of control left. It’s a good thing to have especially when he has managed to find success pitching at Camden Yards and on a perpetually bad team.

Like a few others on this list, Means is at the stage of his career where he has yet to really piece anything extensive together. He was an All-Star in 2019, a year where he was 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA. Last year, at 6-9 with a 3.62 ERA, he showed us that maybe he can continue to improve.

The big trouble here: the Orioles have no urgency to trade him. The first year of arbitration eligibility shouldn’t push his salary too high for their frugal blood. Means is someone the Orioles would be wise to hold hostage until the right deal comes along. For them, that should come in the form of nothing other than prospects. So unless the Mets are willing to part with some of their better farmhands, Means may not call Citi Field home anytime soon.