Not even halfway through the 2023 regular season, two of the biggest payrolls in baseball may be already hitting the panic button. The New York Mets have struggled all season long, but the San Diego Padres haven't been far behind. After acquiring superstars all offseason, the Padres are 37-44 following a sweep to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
While a Wild Card spot remains a possibility, some insiders are already predicting the Padres to potentially sell at the deadline. With so much money on the books and a massive Juan Soto extension looming, San Diego might look to save wherever possible.
Meanwhile, the Mets and Steve Cohen have yet to full commit to a strategy ahead of the trade deadline. If the Padres do end up as sellers and the Mets choose to stick it out and buy, these three players should be early trade targets to bring to New York.
Blake Snell would provide much needed help for the Mets rotation
It's not often that a former Cy Young winner finds themselves on the trade block, but Blake Snell has emerged as a popular trade candidate should the Padres choose to blow it up.
On the surface, it's not hard to understand why the Padres would shop Snell. He has yet to recapture his elite form, with a 3.64 ERA across three season in San Diego. More importantly, he is set to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2023 season. The Padres would be much better off spending that money on Juan Soto instead of resigning the 30 year old pitcher.
Snell would be a massive upgrade to the Mets rotation. Outside of an injured Jose Quintana and unproven David Peterson, the Mets have no left handed starting pitching. He would slide into the #4 slot in the rotation and bring some much needed success and depth to a rotation that lacks both.
Through his first 16 starts, Snell owns a 3.21 ERA, which is his lowest since he won the Cy Young award. He has improved across the board from previous season, and appears to be heading up at the right time.
Given that this trade would most likely be a rental, Mets fans might be hesitant giving up prospects for half a season of Blake Snell. Regardless, if the team is looking to buy at the deadline to save some jobs, Snell would arguably be one of the best starting pitchers on the market.