5 blockbuster trades the Mets should consider this offseason

The hot stove is finally boiling and the New York Mets have jumped out ahead of the pack in terms of being aggressive on the market early on. There are quite a few needs that the Mets currently need on the roster on both the pitching front as well as the offensive front. If General Manager Billy Eppler does not find what he's looking for on the open market, there are going to be plenty of names dangled around the league by opposing General Managers throughout the winter.

While other teams are being aggressive as the Mets are in terms of upgrading their roster, including the division rival Philadelphia Phillies, the front office may be plotting their very next splash as the arch-rivals continue to steal headlines with their recent signings.

The New York Mets front office has a chance to steal headlines again this winter by landing a star player in a blockbuster move that nobody is anticipating

Two offseasons ago the Mets shook the baseball world up with their blockbuster trade for Francisco Lindor, and there are some intriguing names out there that could make sense for the Mets in some capacity on the trade market.

I went ahead and outlined five intriguing players that the Mets front office should target should they go the trade route at some point this winter and make some noise with a potential blockbuster deal.

1) NY Mets trade target: Bryan Reynolds

Prior to the Winter Meetings getting underway, Bryan Reynolds had informed the Pittsburgh Pirates that he wished to be traded to another ballclub, which sent baseball Twitter into a frenzy. The 27-year-old All-Star centerfielder has been one of the few bright spots in the Pirates organization which seems to constantly be in disarray.

Reynolds is entering the prime of his career and is most likely looking for a change of scenery after watching many of his former teammates get traded over the last several seasons for prospects for a rebuilding Pirates club. Reynolds is a career .281 hitter with a .361/.481/.842 slash line to go along with it. Reynolds also has an outstanding career 13.2 WAR.

The only way I potentially see Reynolds as an option for the Mets is if they fail to re-sign Brandon Nimmo this winter. Nimmo's market has been scorching over the last couple of weeks and there is no guarantee he returns to the Mets next season. If the front office loses out on Nimmo and they are looking to add an impact outfielder, Reynolds may very well fit the bill.

However, it's going to take an absolute haul to take Reynolds off the Pirates' hands as he is not scheduled to be a free agent until 2026, which gives the Pirates' front office lots of leverage in their asking price. They have also made it known around the league that it will take a significant return for them to trade Reynolds. The Mets would have to pony up at least two of their top five prospects as a starting point for trade discussions if they were to be serious contenders in the bidding.

Outside of Brandon Nimmo, the center field free agent market is very shallow in terms of impact players. There may not be a better higher-end option who may be available to potentially replace Nimmo's productivity with other than Bryan Reynolds.