5 best trade targets not named Shohei Ohtani to keep an eye on this summer

As a New York Mets fan it's never too early to take a look at some tantalizing trades that could potentially be had at this year's Trade Deadline. The Mets are presumed to be in the thick of the playoff race by the time the Trade Deadline rolls around in August and all eyes will be on the Los Angeles Angels and what they plan to do with Shohei Ohtani.

While I would be under the assumption that the Mets would be one of those teams making a call to the Angels' front office should Ohtani be made available for teams at the deadline. However, there are some other players that the Mets front office should keep an eye on should some of these teams be sellers at the Trade Deadline.

I wanted to take a look at five players that the Mets front office should monitor should any of their clubs make them available, as each player would most likely provide an upgrade to the roster in some sense.

1) NY Mets trade target: Tyler O' Neil

One player who I could see changing jerseys before the end of the season is St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Tyler O'Neil. The Cardinals are loaded with young outfield talent and O'Neil may be the best player to bring them back something of value at this year's Trade Deadline.

Earlier this month, there was also a baserunning incident that led to a public war of words between O'Neil and Manager Oli Marmol which almost seemed to solidify that O'Neil's days in a Cardinals uniform may be numbered. The 27-year-old O'Neil is not eligible for free agency until 2025 which would give the Mets some team control for a couple of seasons, in turn, they could plug him into a corner outfield spot.

O'Neil's real breakout season came back in 2021 in which he slugged 34 home runs with 80 RBIs to go along with a .286 batting average for the Cardinals. Last season he struggled with a wide variety of injuries which led to him playing only 96 games, but should he be made available he would be a prime change of scenery candidate with the Mets moving forward.

2) NY Mets trade target: Corbin Burnes

Anything is possible, right? I know right now it may not seem like the most realistic move currently with the Milwaukee Brewers taking the league by storm, but let's not forget this is the same team that surprisingly traded All-Star closer Josh Hader last year to the San Diego Padres in the middle of a pennant race.

The former Cy Young Award winner is scheduled to hit free agency after the 2024 season and it's been made pretty obvious that the Brewers and Burnes are likely not going to explore any kind of extension prior to him hitting free agency. As a matter of fact, Burnes made it publicly known his dissatisfaction with the Brewers for lowballing him in arbitration this past winter, which only feeds more into the narrative of Burnes not being long for Milwaukee.

While it would most likely take some kind of a hefty haul to pry Burnes away from the Brewers, the Brewers may do what they can to acquire some semblance of value before Burnes walks next winter. Burnes would instantly provide an upgrade to a Mets starting rotation that has been thinned out due to injuries, and I think at this point it's pretty obvious you can never have enough starting pitching in this league.

Could you imagine the Mets trotting out three former Cy Young Award winners at the top of their rotation in October?

3) NY Mets trade target: Julio Urias

Another starting pitcher the Mets could potentially look at during the Trade Deadline would be Los Angeles Dodgers starter, Julio Urias. Urias is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason and depending on how the Dodgers' season shakes out, he could potentially be had if the Dodgers deem themselves to sell some pieces later this summer.

The Mets could surely use a left-handed pitcher in their starting rotation and he would only deepen the Mets starting pitching depth which has been completely thinned out recently. Urias who is still only 26 years old will be hitting free agency as he is entering his prime this offseason, and while he would be considered a rental, the Mets could put themselves in a prime position to potentially re-sign him should they acquire him this summer.

Last season Urias was the National League ERA leader with an ERA of 2.16 and led the National League in wins in 2021. He's a pitcher with a postseason pedigree and would slot nicely behind Verlander and Scherzer in a potential postseason series. Outside of Shohei Ohtani, Urias, and Phillies ace Aaron Nola will likely be the most coveted free agents on the market this winter, and the Mets could have the opportunity to trade for two of those three later this summer.

5) NY Mets trade target: Josh Hader

San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader could be an interesting name depending on where the Padres are in the standings come August. While the Padres surprisingly pried him away from the Milwaukee Brewers last summer, he could be a prime candidate to move if the Padres were to somehow fall out of the playoff race.

Hader is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, and you can believe the Mets will be looking at every possible late-inning option that is available this summer to ease the loss of star closer Edwin Diaz this upcoming postseason. While there are no current signals that Hader is available right now there is certainly a lot that could change between now and August and he's simply a player to monitor as the season progresses.

After a disastrous run in San Diego last season, Hader has completely turned it back around this season and established himself back as one of the top three closers in baseball. Hader would instantly give the Mets a potent option in the back end of the bullpen, and he would fit in seamlessly with David Robertson and Adam Ottavino who have been rock solid in the late innings this season.