3 moves the New York Mets should make once the lockout ends

If you're a New York Mets fan manifesting the MLB and MLBPA putting their petty differences aside so we can enjoy our favorite team in 2022, raise your hand. 

MLB is in a lockout, which has now put the start of Spring Training in jeopardy. This is devastating for the fans, but especially for Mets fans who had been riding the Steve Cohen spending wave with a glee that hasn’t existed….ever? 

Can we all take a second to collectively thank Steven Matz’s agent for lighting an unquenchable fire under Uncle Steve? It’s one that led to the Mets signing Mark Cahna, Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marte in a 24 hour span and making Max Scherzer the recipient of the highest annual salary in baseball history. 

And while Mets fans were basking in the glory of the richest owner in baseball, the sense around the league and the fanbase was that Cohen and new general manager Billy Eppler weren’t done. Weren’t done?! After spending $254M in contracts, the Mets could still spend more? Also, is there anyone who still wants to compare Steve Cohen to the Wilpons?

The Mets could put themselves in serious contention in 2022 by adding to their roster

What else could the Mets do? Sign Kris Bryant? Add Carlos Rodon? In this new Cohen-universe, anything and everything is possible. There’s still some noticeable areas of improvement to be made on the roster, but there are three moves in particular that could set the Mets up to make their first legitimate run at a World Series since 2015. 

Here are the three moves the Mets should make this offseason, whenever baseball ends this lockout.

TRADE FOR MATT CHAPMAN AND CHRIS BASSITT 

I’m gonna be honest, I am biased towards third basemen, center fielders and pitchers. There’s not a center fielder in this deal, but the Mets should absolutely inquire into a package for Matt Chapman and Chris Bassitt. 

The Oakland Athletics are in sell mode (shocker). With the Mets shopping Jeff McNeil, they should package McNeil with two prospects and get an answer to two question marks the roster currently contains. 

The most glaring issue right now for the club is the rotation. I know that sounds counter-intuitive given the fact that the top of their rotation is Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, but there are very real health issues with deGrom and providing more depth is a priority for the front office. 

In Bassitt, the Mets would be getting a very solid number three in their rotation. The righty compiled a 3.15 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP in 157 IP with 159 strikeouts. Bassitt broke out last year after showing signs during the truncated 2020 season in which he pitched to a 2.29 ERA. At 32, Bassitt is set to be a free agent after the 2022 season, which would effectively lower the asking price even though he’s owed only $8M this season. 

The second piece in this deal would give the Mets a Platinum Glove winner at third base. 

Chapman is a defensive wizard and while his batting average is never going to turn heads, Chapman still showed some decent pop by hitting 27 homers last year. The big upside is that Chapman is also set to make only $8M next year before entering into his final year of arbitration in 2023. 

With the Mets having made vast improvements last year defensively from previous years, Chapman would only add to that. As the Mets look to turn their franchise around in all areas, adding Chapman to Lindor on the left side of the infield would be a major upgrade defensively. 

Chapman alone admittedly probably wouldn’t make sense for giving up McNeil, but adding Bassitt to the mix would improve the Mets much more than simply holding onto McNeil.

TRADE FOR LUIS CASTILLO

You were probably expecting to see Kris Bryant’s name somewhere on this list. I get it. And while the Mets have been known to have interest in Bryant, it’s unlikely that the Mets brass is going to dish out another nine-figure contract when they could answer multiple holes with the money they’d spend annually on Bryant. 

What the Mets need right now is pitching and if the Mets truly think they can put themselves in a position to win a World Series in 2022, then Luis Castillo is a must add.

The right hander has been the linchpin of the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation for some time now and while there’s been much debate about whether or not Castillo could get to the level of winning a Cy Young, he’s shown enough to take the Mets into the category of a legitimate World Series contender. 

But Chriss Bassitt had a lower ERA last year? Yes, and a lower WHIP. But it should be noted that Castillo got off to a brutal start in 2021. Blame it on the shortened 2020 season or just a bad start, but Castillo was unwatchable, posting a 7.22 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP. 

The start was brutal but the last four months of the season, Castillo was stellar. After the first 58 innings of the year, Castillo dominated, putting up a 2.73 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Finishing with 192 whiffs, Castillo eclipsed 165+ strikeouts for the third time in four seasons (89 in 2020). 

Taking a deeper dive into Castillo’s 2021 season shows that his percentages were heavily influenced by his slow start. Castillo finished in the top percentiles in both 2019 and 2020 in regards to his pure stuff. The strikeout ability, the strong defense behind him and the pitcher-friendly confines of Citi Field could make Luis Castillo a stud in 2022. 

A subscriber on The Athletic suggested a proposal of Ronny Mauricio and Jeff McNeil for Luis Castillo. It’s hard to imagine the Mets would pay that price without another piece involved. But what’s more, considering the Reds are also looking to sell this season, it’s worth considering if Mauricio would be enough as the centerpiece. The Reds have Matt McClain in their farm system who is ranked third, but Mauricio has superstar potential. The issue is Mauricio realistically doesn’t have a place on the roster moving forward. 

It would be a tough cost to swallow, but like Casey Stern says, “prospects are cool, parades are cooler”. If you’re manifesting the MLB and MLBPA putting their petty differences aside so the loyal fans can enjoy their favorite sport in 2022, raise your hand.