1 prospect to target from the 3 Justin Verlander trade suitors
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The New York Mets activated their seller's mode for this trade deadline after the trade that sent David Robertson to the Miami Marlins. The team must decide how aggressive they will be at the deadline, where some baseball executives suggest Justin Verlander could end up being traded by August 1st.
Despite putting numbers for us like last season, Verlander continues to have great value in the market, especially with what he has shown in the last month, where he has an ERA below 2.00. If the Mets make their ace available, the team should target these three prospects as the head of a trade package for Verlander's services, taking into account that the team would assume Verlander's salary to enhance the return.
The Mets should demand Luisangel Acuña from the Texas Rangers for Verlander
Among the possible suitors for Verlander's services, the Texas Rangers emerge as the most interested. The Texas team is playing excellent baseball with one of the best offenses this season, but they need starting pitchers and relievers.
Through social networks, we can find the desire among fans to get Jack Leiter from the Rangers in a trade for Verlander. Leiter is a well-known pitcher from Vanderbilt who made a big splash a few years back.
Still, the Mets can get something better than Leiter for Verlander. Luisangel Acuña, brother of superstar Ronald Acuña, is an infielder with great contact skills for power and speed.
The No. 3 prospect in the Rangers organization and No. 44 in all of baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, is an athletic shortstop, with good instincts and an arm he could have playing elite defense at second base. Luisangel has improved his discipline at the plate and is putting up his best season in AA in 2023.
This player's speed and raw power make him a future 30/40 player with a few touches to refine his pitch selection and swing. Acuña is a player who could debut in 2024 but is blocked in the Rangers organization. The Mets can take advantage of this opportunity and boost trade for who could be the top No. 1 prospect in the organization.
The Mets can boost a trade for the top prospect of the Houston Astros
The Houston Astros organization does not have the same depth in its farm system as in previous eras. Likewise, the team has a star center field at Double AA, who could be a high-impact player in any organization and who the Mets should target for Justin Verlander.
The Astros' No. 1 prospect and No. 69 in all of baseball, Drew Gilbert is a compact 5 feet and 9 inches player with high-contact skills to get the ball into play and raw power in his swing. He's a lefty hitter with a pull swing who does enough damage to the ball, showing a good amount of extra bases and home run potential.
His skills at the plate are matched by his speed on the bases. Gilbert has a current and future speed rating well above the league average in MLB right now, making him a potential player with the ability to steal 30-40+ bases per season.
Gilbert also has a powerful arm that, in combination with the speed of his legs, allows him to cover the center field position with ease, being able to be elite in the corner outfield. The Astros' top prospect could be ready to make his MLB debut as early as 2025.
The Mets should demand an infielder who recently arrived in the Cincinnati Reds organization
The Cincinnati Reds are on an explosive run to try to reach the postseason after so many years of mediocrity on the field. Powered by a host of talented young players like Elly De La Cruz, and Matt McClain, the organization looks ready to take the next step in competing any time soon.
Meanwhile, the Reds seem in need of veteran starting pitchers to help out the young pitching staff and spearhead their rotation in the postseason. Justin Verlander emerges with a perfect fit for the Reds, who can also take advantage of not having to carry their payroll for the services of an ace.
The Mets can take advantage of a trade of Verlander, and the fact they can assume his contract to boost the greatest possible return from the Reds, and that would be Noelvi Marte. The infielder recently promoted to Triple-A is recognized for being the headline player in the trade that sent Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners.
The current No. 16 prospect in all of MLB, Marte has a power in his swing that stands out to the eye, considered by most scouts with one of the prospects with the highest raw power among prospects. Additionally, he has great discipline at the plate that helps him enhance his contact in the strike zone.
The infielder with the ability to play SS/2B/3B has above-league-average arm speed and good leg speed. Marte could be ready to make his MLB debut as early as 2024, but he's locked into the Reds organization right now.
Despite the Mets having an immediate need for pitching on their roster, if the team decides to trade Justin Verlander they should do it for the biggest return possible. A trade of this level can make the Mets' farm system one of the best in all of MLB.
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