Mets Monday Morning GM: Stealing a trade deadline play from the Braves and Phillies

The last two World Series have featured a National League East team. In fact, from 2017-2022, it has been the Los Angeles Dodgers or one of the biggest rivals of the New York Mets in the World Series.

The Washington Nationals won it all in 2019 with the Atlanta Braves taking the case in 2021. The Philadelphia Phillies had their shot in 2022 against the same team that fell to the Nationals and Braves, the Houston Astros. This time around, it was Houston who came out on top.

As different as the 2021 Braves and 2022 Phillies were, they had something in common. Their playbook included the same trade deadline Hail Mary. The Braves and Phillies weren’t shy about overhauling the roster. The Mets need to keep this in mind in 2023.

The Mets can learn from the Braves and Phillies at this year's trade deadline

The process may have already begun in Queens. Promotions for Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos have changed things. Over the past two years, rookies have been virtually absent from the core of the Mets roster.

Meanwhile, the Braves have continued to promote from within and so have the Phillies. Spencer Strider, Michael Harris, Bryson Stott, and others have joined both ball clubs with a lot of success. We can possibly check this off the to-do list. Next up is to add from outside.

The Mets will be in the mix for just about everything. They could use a starting pitcher upgrade. The lineup would benefit from a veteran power bat. Let’s not waste time on reviewing how half of the bullpen could be exchanged for someone better.

In the middle of the 2021 season, the Braves made trades for Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, and Joc Pederson. Each had a huge impact on the roster with Soler and Rosario earning themselves an MVP each during the postseason. The need to add them came more due to injury than an actual upgrade. Last year’s Phillies took a different approach. While adding David Robertson, Brandon Marsh, and Edmundo Sosa they DFA’d Jeurys Familiar, Odubel Herrera, and Didi Gregorius.

The Mets have their own group of players they could DFA later this year. Veterans Daniel Vogelbach, Eduardo Escobar, Carlos Carrasco, and maybe even Mark Canha (unlikely) could become players the team moves on from. Younger and better players added through the trade deadline, even if they aren’t stars, could be what’s in store if Billy Eppler follows the same blueprints of the Braves and Phillies.

If last year’s trade deadline action was any indication, looking for fits over talent is something Eppler is familiar with. The problem with last year’s trade deadline was how big each of the misses were. Between Darin Ruf, Mychal Givens, and Tyler Naquin, there wasn’t much to like about the attempt to get better.

Merciless, aggressive, and smart. Those are three qualities Eppler will need to have if he’d like to follow in the path of the last two National League Champions.