Dream Mets trade deadline: 1 blockbuster, 1 realistic stud, 1 reunion
What does your dream Mets trade deadline look like?
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What would the dream New York Mets trade deadline look like? We can’t always dream them up perfectly. Who would’ve guessed the 2015 moves they made would work out so amazingly well? Yoenis Cespedes was the beefy addition. Fellow newcomers like Tyler Clippard and Addison Reed were impactful in their own way.
If we were to dream about the best scenarios for the Mets, it would include some massive improvements to the bullpen and maybe an outfield bat. From this dream, we have one blockbuster deal, one far more realistic, and a reunion candidate to solidify the roster whilst in a cozy slumber.
1) The blockbuster Mets trade deadline addition: Garrett Crochet
There isn’t a better player for the Mets to add to the roster than Garrett Crochet. Young and on the rise, they can add him to the bullpen now and use him as a starter next season. It’s the exact kind of strategic move we’d expect from someone with the pedigree as David Stearns to make.
It would take a blockbuster haul to get Crochet and include at minimum one of the team’s prospects deemed worthy of the top 100. The Chicago White Sox don’t have to trade Crochet right now so the Mets will have to make a tempting enough offer and outbid the rest of the contenders to pry him away.
The 25-year-old lefty has averaged an insane 12.7 strikeouts per 9 innings this year while walking batters at a rate of just 2 per 9. The White Sox have already begun winding him down in starts. The Mets, even with Christian Scott out, would probably toss him into the bullpen immediately and hope he can be a two-inning weapon leading up to or instead of Edwin Diaz.
Crochet doesn’t reach free agency until after the 2026 season. For him to pitch this ridiculously well after Tommy John surgery is a good sign that all is well and the best has yet to come. Odds of him getting traded are thinning as he has already stated he won’t pitch in October without an extension. Well, Steve Cohen’s wallet could make sure he does.
2) The realistic Mets trade deadline addition: Tanner Scott
A little more realistic of a trade option for the Mets comes from within their own division. Miami Marlins closer Tanner Scott is having a dastardly season where he’s throwing some of the filthiest stuff and getting the results. Unlike some other pitchers who might have good swing and miss stuff, poor contact rates, and whatnot, Scott is winning in both departments.
Scott is 6-5 with a 1.21 ERA in 44.2 innings. An average exit velocity of only 80mph against him is one indication of how nasty he has been.
A trade with the Marlins for a stud reliever isn’t so outlandish. Almost one year ago today, the Mets sent the Marlins David Robertson for a pair of low-level prospects. Thanks to inflation, a much more elite year from Scott, and the fact that he throws left-handed, it should cost more for the Mets to add him than it did for the Marlins to nab Robertson for two months.
Scott is one of the best chips the Marlins have to play and he absolutely will get dealt somewhere. The question is whether or not the Mets are going to make him a priority. Anyone they may trade would have the potential to turn this dream trade deadline addition into a future nightmare. Scott should be worth it. If the Mets are serious, they’ll add that missing left-handed monster in the bullpen they’ve been without most of the year.
3) The Mets trade deadline reunion: Kevin Pillar
Kevin Pillar doesn’t move the needle for the Mets quite the same as players like Crochet and Scott. He could still be a necessary addition. As the team awaits the return of Starling Marte from the IL, a combination of Jeff McNeil, DJ Stewart, and Tyrone Taylor are filling in. As Ben Gamel practically rots on the bench, an upgrade there or even over Stewart seems like a viable trade deadline plan for the Mets to undertake.
Pillar showed himself to be a gutsy player as a member of the 2021 Mets. On this year’s team, he’d exclusively go into a role where he’d be used against left-handed pitchers. The health status of Marte over the next week will tell us more about whether or not Pillar is someone they should even go after. Even then, the Mets should look at those fantastic numbers against left-handed pitchers and make the Los Angeles Angels an offer.
Pillar’s numbers with the Angels include a .298/.346/.490 slash line and 6 home runs in 151 at-bats. The damage he does against lefties is more prominent. He’s slashing .397/.407/.672 against them.
This year’s Mets team has wisely given multiple players plenty of rest time and it has kept many healthy. Carlos Mendoza is unafraid to unload his entire bench in an effort to crack open a win. Pillar can be a weapon to use versus left-handed pitchers. It’s something the bench currently lacks and shouldn’t go overlooked. Tyrone Taylor and Harrison Bader have hit right-handed pitchers well while struggling against southpaws. Go in reverse when looking for a DJ Stewart replacement and pick up a guy who can defend all three outfield spots and put up big numbers against lefties.
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