3 Mets trade to make to catch the Braves in the NL East

Chicago White Sox v New York Yankees
Chicago White Sox v New York Yankees / Sarah Stier/GettyImages
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Despite a poor start to the season, the New York Mets are a team to consider in the National League Wild Card. However, the team's aspirations to achieve the leadership of the East Division over the Atlanta Braves are less and less.

To catch up with the Braves, the Mets need to strengthen several areas of the roster in this upcoming trade deadline. Although some names like Shohei Ohtani, Corbin Burnes, or Shane Bieber would be off the Mets' radar, the front office can pull off several trades that would achieve the purpose of knocking the Braves off the top of the division.

The Mets should trade for Lucas Giolito and Joe Kelly

The Chicago White Sox will be sellers ahead of the trade deadline this year. The team has not been able to translate the talent built over the years into a competitive team.

The White Sox organization has many attractive options on the market, with Lucas Giolito and Joe Kelly, being an interesting combination. Both will be on the market and can help the Mets in the rotation and bullpen without costing too much.

While Giolito's market will be attractive, the fact that he is in the final year of his contract limits the return Chicago can get on him. Joe Kelly instead has a club option for 2024, but his injury history and age complicate his market.

Giolito has a good pedigree and arsenal, although sometimes inconsistent but his presence in the Mets' rotation would offer stability and depth. Kelly continues to be a high-leverage situation reliever with electric stuff with a fastball and sinker averaging 99 mph.

The Mets would have to start the conversation with possibly Mark Vientos plus two or three prospects above the top 20-30. Vientos is an expendable player due to his limited defense, and the return that would be obtained, with Giolito and Kelly, would turn the Mets into a serious threat in the National League.

The Mets should acquire a familiar bat in the NL East

If we have learned anything in recent years, is that teams that go the furthest are the ones with the greatest depth. When a model works, the ideal is to try to repeat it.

A few years ago, the Atlanta Braves achieved a streak that led them to be crowned champions, with an interesting approach toward the trade deadline. Alex Anthopoulos took his sights off the biggest names available in the market and made three trades for three outfielders that gave the Braves the spark they needed to win the World Series.

This year one of those bats will be available on the market. Although the San Francisco Giants have not defined their position, even as buyers they will have to carry out mixed actions with their roster.

Joc Pederson is playing on a one-year deal after accepting the Giants' Qualifying Offer last offseason. Being a rental with a high-cost contract makes Pederson an attractive trade chip but for those big market teams willing to assume the remaining salary to pay little for their services.

Pederson would enter the Mets' lineup as an immediate upgrade over Daniel Vogelbach and offers the option to play the LF. The Giants outfielder continues to hit the ball forcefully with almost 50% HardHit% and the highest Barrel% of his entire career.

With this trade, the Mets would quickly improve their lineup by incorporating the much-needed power they've been looking for. The return for Pederson's services would not be high and could get done with a top 15-20 prospect plus a non-top 30 prospect.

The Mets need more than one arm for a bullpen that needs it

As the season progresses, each game, each series becomes a fiercer competition for a comfortable playoff berth. This causes each situation in the game to merit necessary changes to capitalize on.

At this point, the bullpen becomes an area of ​​extreme importance and need, which is used enormously in every game. This makes the market for relievers heading to the trade deadline eye-catching.

The Mets are a team that will need multiple options in a bullpen with a lot of inconsistency outside of David Robertson. This makes Aroldis Chapman a name the Mets should pay attention to.

Chapman is in a great year, putting up ratios like his best years with the Yankees. Despite continuing to show control problems, the Cuban has limited his opponents' hard-hit contact while ranking among the top pitchers in strikeout percentage.

Chapman has an affordable contract of just one year and $3.5 million, which makes him an attractive trade chip this summer. The plus that this pitcher brings is his experience in the most difficult and demanding baseball market, New York City.

By acquiring Aroldis Chapman, the Mets would be adding a high-leverage situation reliever at a low cost. The Mets could acquire Chapman for a top 20 prospect in their farm system or multiple prospects outside the team's top 30.

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