3 way too early Mets trade deadline needs they’ll need to address if they want to compete

Trade deadline talk for the New York Mets was supposed to be headlined by all of the selling. The players had different thoughts. Playing much better since their 0-5 start but with some difficulties, the team isn’t as much of a pushover as some hoped they would be.

There’s a long season ahead with plenty of room to swing from one extreme to the other. If you’re believing the Mets can actually buy at the trade deadline, it’s these three needs they should already be considering.

1) The Mets will need starting pitching capable of giving them innings

Where’s Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey, or any of those other innings eaters from “recent” Mets history when you need them? Mets starting pitchers have been good at times, but whether they’re winning or losing they seem to give the team very limited innings. It’s the way baseball is played these days. The Mets are taking it to too much of an extreme.

It’s not much of a surprise as the Mets already went into the year hoping to have as close to a six-man rotation as they could. Jose Quintana has been a 5+ inning guy at most for a few seasons now. Luis Severino, who has battled back from multiple injuries, might be limited if only to manage his health. Let’s not even bother dissecting Adrian Houser too deeply at this point. If the Mets are able to add a pitcher at the trade deadline, it’s his spot they’d look to upgrade.

There might not be a single pitcher out there who tops 200 innings this season and if there is he’ll probably barely inch over. Asking for 170 innings is big enough. It’s this type of pitcher the Mets are missing.

Kodai Senga should be able to come back and give the Mets a lot more credibility at the top of the rotation. However, the team is likely to ease him back into longer appearances and with the expected more regular use of a six-man rotation with him around, getting more outs from each of the starters is even more important.

The Mets bullpen has been impressive in the early going. Unfortunately, they’re getting used a lot. Don’t grind them into dust too soon.

The trouble facing the team here is that innings eaters are desirable at the trade deadline even if they aren’t the most effective. It’ll be the most costly addition they could look to make. Maybe a guy on a bad contract is what will make the most sense.

3) The Mets should be in the market for a credible backup catcher

We’re going to see a lot of Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido over the next couple of weeks; maybe less so if the Mets end up pulling the plug on either. Their combined salary comes out to almost $10 million which is ridiculous considering how little production they offer at the plate. A backup catcher upgrade isn’t such a glamorous trade deadline need to address. In the absence of Francisco Alvarez, we’ll learn how essential it is to possess.

Searching for a catcher upgrade at the trade deadline is nothing new for the Mets. Remember those Willson Contreras rumors with the Chicago Cubs? The Mets won’t be looking for quite as impactful a player. Maybe a starter somewhere else they can rely on to actually hit the ball and throw out runners occasionally.

The difficulty here could be all of the steps it would take to happen. The Mets would first need to DFA Narvaez and eat the remainder of his salary. It’s a bit bold to do after all of the other dead money they’ve added to the payroll since last year’s trade deadline. It’s not impossible, though. By the time the trade deadline arrives, more than half of his $7 million salary in 2024 will have been paid for.

The Mets won’t need a world-beater, just someone who isn’t completely absent on one side of the ball. Fortunately, these types of players don’t cost much at the trade deadline. The Mets might get lucky and even snag someone off the waiver wire first. Nido hasn't looked too bad since his promotion. We've been fooled before. The last thing the Mets need is to buy into a hot streak from him and end up with nothing at the position post-trade deadline.