3 roster upgrades the Mets need to add at this year’s trade deadline

The MLB trade deadline will take place on August 2 this year. It’s the last chance for the New York Mets to make a huge deal for a major roster upgrade.

Fortunately, they don’t seem to have any gigantic needs at the moment. Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are on their way back from the IL which will only increase their overall pitching depth. The starting lineup has only a few holes that could use an upgrade. Considering how capable they are of scoring runs with what they do have, they might not be in the market for all that much on the offensive side of things.

The Mets should still look to get better. At these three roles, the Mets could use a trade deadline upgrade.

1) The Mets need to upgrade the left-handed bullpen spot

There isn’t a position the Mets could use an improvement at more than the left-handed bullpen job. Joely Rodriguez and Chasen Shreve have had underwhelming years. From the moment it was clear they would be the left-handed duo in the bullpen, fans were concerned if Billy Eppler had done enough in this role.

Clearly, he did not.

Some can point to certain statistics to justify either’s continued spot on the roster. However, when you start going beyond the simple numbers like ERA, your case gets a little weaker. Rodriguez and Shreve may go for long periods without allowing runs. Neither is quite dominant enough to be the focal point of a playoff team’s left-handed reliever option.

The Mets should be in the market to add a lefty reliever this summer. Andrew Chafin could be at the top of the list. When the season comes closer to a conclusion, David Peterson may be an option. For now, he’ll serve the Mets better as a starting pitcher depth piece rather than a relief weapon.

2) The Mets need to upgrade the DH position

Even if J.D. Davis does come around for good and starts to crank home runs, the Mets should look into adding someone else for the bulk of DH starts. It doesn’t even need to be an everyday player. What they could be in the market for is a left-handed hitter to pair with Davis in this role. Dominic Smith wasn’t hitting nearly well enough for him to keep his roster spot. The abilities of Khalil Lee and Nick Plummer can also come into question at times.

Davis is holding onto his roster spot because of a lack of internal upgrades within the organization. He has also been their best right-handed hitter off of the bench/available for DH duties. He can help solve any questions the Mets may have out of the DH spot by continuing to show signs of improvement. If he slumps again, Eppler needs to be on the phone with every seller in hopes of finding someone else.

The ideal player to pair with Davis would be a lefty with some pop. Preferably, this should be a guy who can even play a corner outfield position. If the Mets were willing to take on a big contract, Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies might be an intriguing player to consider. There is a player option on him for next season with incentives that could raise his salary to $18 million. If the Rockies were to eat a portion of the salary, it’s something to kick the tires on.

As much as Blackmon has faded, he continues to hit well versus right-handed pitchers.