1 Cubs trade candidate the Mets should target and 2 they should avoid at all costs

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.