Taking bad contracts to cheapen relievers is a bad recipe for the Mets to follow

SNY’s Andy Martino threw out the latest New York Mets rumors about the team’s potential pursuit of getting better. This team just won’t quit, will they?

We have to hand it to them. If the Mets rumors that have made the rounds in recent days are indeed factual, at least they’re not considering waving the white flag. The con is they might do something stupid.

In Martino’s story, he profiles several bad contracts the Mets could take on to land a bullpen upgrade without sacrificing too much of the future in terms of prospects. It’s not a bad idea in certain circumstances. With the 2023 team, it feels like a bad recipe.

NY Mets rumors suggesting they could take bad contracts for bullpen help are discouraging

The names Martino lists out are some of the most brutal contracts out there. Stephen Strasburg. Patrick Corbin. Josh Donaldson. Steven Matz. More discouraging are the kinds of relievers they’d get back in return. Guys like Carl Edwards Jr., Ian Hamilton, and Jordan Hicks aren’t going to save the Mets season.

The Mets could definitely use a few more arms in the bullpen. Taking on a ton of money, no matter how endless Steve Cohen’s wallet may be, just seems like pouring gasoline on a fire. The bigger problem with the Mets has been the lack of starting pitching production they’ve received. Unless they get much more from Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, it doesn’t matter who they have pitching in relief. This team won’t win.

One name of interest for the Mets Martino did mention was Trevor Williams. He inked a two-year deal worth $13 million in the offseason with the Washington Nationals. We know him well from his time with the Mets last year bouncing between the rotation and bullpen. Now 4-4 with a 4.14 ERA this year, he’d actually be one of the better arms in the rotation even if some of his other numbers (1.36 WHIP and 5.17 FIP) suggest otherwise. The one downside to Williams might be how mainstream he has become for non-baseball reasons. We'll defer to the Public Relations Team to figure this one out.

From these Mets rumors, Martino suggests players like Donaldson could be acquired then dumped. How much more dead money are the Mets willing to add to the books to address a major need but not the primary one?

If the Mets are going to take on a bad contract in a trade, it needs to be so they can add a more significant piece than a single bullpen arm. It’s paying a $2 ATM fee to withdraw $1. If the Mets want to go after a championship, go full force.