Blue Jays payroll situation is something the Mets can take advantage of at the trade deadline

How much financial might will the New York Mets flex at this year’s trade deadline? Expected buyers instead of sellers, they could still find ways to bail out other teams by taking on bad contracts even if those bad deals end up as dead money on the books soon after.

A team with an increasing desire to shed some payroll could be the Toronto Blue Jays. MLB Trade Rumors put together an extensive piece on their payroll situation and getting below the competitive balance tax. It’s unknown what their trade deadline goal will be. Do they go the route of the Mets and try to get the best prospects possible or shed some salary to allow them to more easily spend next offseason?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/07/looking-at-the-blue-jays-and-the-competitive-balance-tax.html

In either case, there’s a bad contract the Mets should be willing to take on if it helps lower the price of a Blue Jays reliever. Welcome to Queens, Kevin Kiermaier.

Kevin Kiermaier plus a Blue Jays relief pitcher at a lower prospect price is a direction for the Mets to consider

Because the season is now more than halfway over, the Mets will only need to pay Kiermaier less than half of his $10.5 million. An undesirable .189 batting average but with his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense shouldn’t have the Mets necessarily running for the hills. Consider their current outfield situation. DJ Stewart isn’t getting the job done. Ben Gamel has hardly been used at all.

There is redundancy with Kiermaier on the team with Harrison Bader and if he doesn’t hit a lick, parting ways is a must. He has been atrocious versus lefties this year, going just 5 for 35. An absolute bench player right now only capable of hitting against righties, the Mets could even turn the tables and trade him to a team in more need of a late-inning defensive replacement.

Kiermaier was recently placed on and cleared through waivers. This was because no one wanted to take on his contract. It’s different with a trade. If paired with Trevor Richards, Yimi Garcia, Genesis Cabrera, or a different Blue Jays reliever, the temptation is there. Considering the Blue Jays have multiple players they could deal, using one to help shed some salary isn’t such a ridiculous idea.

Bolder yet maybe not so realistic would be for the Mets to take on one of the higher-salaried Blue Jays starting pitchers. Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, and Kevin Gausman are all getting paid a lot of money to sit on the roster of a trade deadline seller. The Mets aren’t necessarily rumored to have any interest in bringing a starting pitcher into the fray. But if there was a team who could seek out the services of a high-priced starting pitcher while bringing on more salary in the form of the dollars owed to Kiermaier, it’s Steve Cohen’s ball club.

The more realistic scenario would be for the Blue Jays to hand over the keys to one of their relievers for a smaller prospect package if the Mets take on Kiermaier’s contract. They’ll already have a tough time moving Justin Turner with the Mets not having any need. Toronto won’t give up any of their trade candidates for free, but for a chance to eliminate some money off the Competitive Balance Tax, they might need to take a small hit in the prospect return for at least one reliever.