Dream Mets trade deadline: 1 blockbuster, 1 realistic stud, 1 reunion

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.

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.