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

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.