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1 Cubs trade candidate the Mets should target and 2 they should avoid at all costs
The Chicago Cubs are trending toward trade deadline sellers again. Apparently, Dansby Swanson wasn’t enough to get them over the hump. It’s good news for the New York Mets who have made a connection with the Cubs at each of the last two trade deadlines. In 2021, it was Javier Baez and Trevor Williams. Last year they picked up Mychal Givens.
Yes, the results weren’t so great from those trades. They’re left with nothing from either deal. Maybe this time around the Mets pick a winner.
The Cubs roster does have a couple of potential trade deadline chips we could expect to make their way into the topic of Mets rumors. Marcus Stroman didn’t make the cut because, well, that’s simply not going to happen. That bridge has been burned. What about some of those other potential Cubs who could be on the move?
NY Mets should target Cody Bellinger in a trade if he can prove he’s healthy
The one Cubs player who should make his way onto the Mets’ wish list is Cody Bellinger. It does come with an asterisk. He has played in only 37 games for the team this season due to an injury he must prove he has overcome before the Mets go out seeking his services.
Bellinger had been hitting .271/.337/.493 with 7 home runs and 20 RBI or the Cubs prior to the injury. A center fielder who swings from the left side, there might be some immediate redundancy upon first look. Consider him as a quality backup for Brandon Nimmo as well as a major upgrade at either corner spot.
Bellinger would, in a way, take on the role of the missing left-handed batter in the lineup. He wouldn’t need to DH necessarily. Let him play one of the corner outfield spots or first base whenever the Mets play a righty pitcher. Give Nimmo a few days as the DH as well to make sure he’s healthy for when the games matter most in October.
Bellinger does have a mutual option for next season which could mean he becomes a rental if he chose to re-enter free agency. He might be a longer-term fit for the Mets, but is probably better suited as a mercenary for this season.
A look at his splits this year and we find a lefty who hits southpaws better. It’s a small sample but a .294/.379/.608 slash line and 4 of his 7 home runs against lefties is promising. Maybe Bellinger never has to sit.
NY Mets should avoid trading for Drew Smyly because of his injury history
Drew Smyly is a good Cubs trade candidate but maybe not the best target for the Mets to go after. You’ve also probably forgotten how he was a member of the 2019 Philadelphia Phillies and even the 2021 Atlanta Braves. I know I did.
For the last two years, Smyly has been with the Cubs where he has posted two of his better seasons. It doesn’t matter much how well Smyly pitches. His injury history is awful enough to steer clear.
Smyly hasn’t topped 25 starts since 2016. Nearly halfway there already, it feels inevitable that an IL stint will arrive for him in 2023. He didn’t pitch a single major league game from 2017 or 2018 due to recovery from Tommy John Surgery. Only now has he seemed to recapture what made him a prized young arm earlier on in his career.
If a starting pitcher is something the Mets believe they need, they should go much bigger than Smyly. The injury risk is a little too great for my liking.
Smyly’s availability is also somewhat in question considering the outlook of his contract. He has a player option for next year and a mutual option in 2025. Let the Cubs keep him. He’s a free plain donut with the purchase of an extra-large coffee we don’t need anyway.
NY Mets should avoid trading for Trey Mancini who feels like Darin Ruf all over again
How would things have turned out for the Mets last year if they picked up Trey Mancini instead of Darin Ruf? Mancini ended up traded to the Houston Astros where he won a championship watching mostly from the bench.
Now a member of the Cubs on a potential one-year deal with an opt out based on plate appearances for next year, he’s someone the Mets need to stay far away from.
Mancini hasn’t hit for much power this year. In fact, he has been much less of a slugger for several seasons. Playing a position like first base doesn’t need power when you have a Keith Hernandez glove. Mancini doesn’t have anywhere near that kind of defensive skill.
Although capable of playing the corner outfield, Mancini feels like another lumbering ex-slugger who will get lost on the Mets roster and forced into the lineup. Very little can change how the Mets should feel about him. Outside of a miraculous home run surge, he doesn’t seem to have the same type of cache as he did even at last year’s trade deadline.
The Mets could certainly use a bat at this year’s trade deadline. Bellinger makes much more sense than Mancini because of the defensive skills and positions he plays. Justifying playing time for Mancini might be hard to do. Take his .176/.268/.364 slash line with the Astros post-trade deadline last season as a warning.
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