Re-grading all 6 Mets trade deadline deals from 2023

A tale of two trade deadlines during Billy Eppler’s tenure with the New York Mets helped define the way we think about him. He missed in a big way in 2022 when the team needed to buy. He made up for it the following year in one of the biggest sell-offs in team history.

The Mets jumped out of the plane with a parachute last summer when they decided to put everything on hold and reset the clock. Multiple players were moved. The Mets, wisely, agreed to pay the remainder of salaries—in some cases massive ones—to get the most from these transactions.

Heading into the 2024 season, it’s worth a re-grade of each of those six deals they made at the deadline.

1) The Mets trade Justin Verlander to the Astros for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford

This might not have been the best deal the Mets made at the trade deadline, but it certainly feels like the one with the largest potential for a payoff. Justin Verlander was sent back to the Houston Astros in exchange for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford. If you aren’t aware of them, how much is the mortgage on the rock you’ve been living under?

The Mets picked up a large part of the tab on Verlander for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In 2025, he’ll receive a player option if he’s able to pitch 140 innings this coming season. He’s already beginning the year on the IL. This could be the difference between the Mets paying the Astros another $17.5 million or not.

We do need to look at the money involved in this trade because it has affected what the Mets are doing now. The hit on the payroll has created some limitations on what the team is currently doing. For this, we can’t give it a perfect score. However, it deserves a ton of praise. Verlander didn’t win anything with the Astros in year one with the team and the Mets have two big-time prospects all for the low-low cost of at least another $25 million in 2024.

Ask most fans, they’d do this deal every time.

Grade: A-

2) The Mets trade Max Scherzer to the Rangers for Luisangel Acuna

Before Verlander, the Mets made a similar deal when they sent Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers. His contract doesn’t have as many stipulations. Fully complete after 2024, the Mets paid his entire salary in 2023 and are on the hook for another $20.83 million this year. What the Rangers got out of this deal was a veteran they’ll pay to spend a good part of this year on the IL—at least to get things started.

Scherzer wasn’t excellent with the Rangers, particularly in the playoffs where he only appeared in the ALCS and World Series. Unable to give them any sort of length in the postseason, it felt like a minor Mets victory to see him be more of a role-player than shining star.

However, Scherzer did get a ring. That has to count for something.

The prospect the Mets got back for him, Luisangel Acuna, remains well-hyped despite a downgraded performance once he joined New York’s Double-A team up in Binghamton. Some top prospect lists have dropped him out of their top 100 entirely. That’s not to suggest he’s a complete bust in their eyes. The worry of him being overly ranked because of his bloodline is in fact real. Acuna will probably never be his brother and yet he can still turn into a really good major league player.

Because the Rangers did win with Scherzer and there is only one prospect who could make or break this trade for the Mets, it’s good but not as good as the one with Verlander.

Grade: B

4) The Mets trade Dominic Leone to the Angels for Jeremiah Jackson

The lowest key deal of the deadline was the one which sent reliever Dominic Leone to the Los Angeles Angels. The second deal made by the Mets and Angels of the summer with the first being the Eduardo Escobar swap in late June, this one feels like an unquestioned Mets victory. To get any sort of promising young player for Leone needs to be graded well.

Leone had a 4.40 ERA with the Mets in 30.2 innings and was always on the fringes of getting DFA’d. Upon joining the Angels, he’d appear in only 13 innings and finish with a 5.54 ERA during their collapse. He’d finish off the year with the Seattle Mariners. 

The Angels are already left with nothing from this deal. Meanwhile, the Mets have the intrigue of whether or not Jeremiah Jackson can turn into a steady major league player.

Jackson, who turns 24 right before Opening Day, didn’t quite meet the expectations the Angels had for him. He has struggled to hit for average and his OBP numbers aren’t great either. A capable power hitter, he had a bit of a resurgent year in 2023 even while still under their control. Jackson hit 15 home runs and stole 21 bases before the trade. He hit another 7 and swiped 6 more for the Mets while more notably increasing all three of the slash line numbers.

A utility man at the moment, Jackson is probably going to at best be a bat off the bench. It’s impossible to envision him being an everyday player for the Mets. Another good year and perhaps he’s trade bait. 

Regardless, this is a trade the Mets undoubtedly scored as the winners.

Grade: A

5) The Mets trade Tommy Pham to the Diamondbacks for Jeremy Rodriguez

We all spent July of last year trying to figure out what the Mets could get back for hot-hitting Tommy Pham. An injury near the trade deadline might’ve ruined some of his value. However, the Mets still managed to come away with a guy many of the scouts are high on, Jeremy Rodriguez.

Pham had a very up-and-down time with the Diamondbacks with some extreme highs when they needed him most. He was the perfect addition to their lineup. The attitude he brought with him and outspoken veteran leadership seemed to be what they needed to make it to the World Series.

As a rental, the Diamondbacks got everything they could from this deal already. They’ll have to enjoy his .421 batting average from the World Series for what it was.

The Mets can bask in knowing there’s more on the way to benefit them in this deal. Rodriguez is a 17-year-old infielder who batted .422 for them in the Dominican Summer League. This isn’t merely a Mets win because he batted a single point higher than Pham did in the World Series. His noteworthy speed on the base paths added to the 33 to 31 walk to strikeout ratio show some immediate tools that have to come naturally.

We won’t see Rodriguez in the majors for a few more years. There’s a long trek ahead. This one still scores favorably right now.

Grade: B

6) The Mets trade David Robertson to the Marlins for Marco Vargas and Ronald Hernandez

The floodgates first opened up when the Mets traded closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins. The fix was in. The Mets were not going to try to compete for a wild card spot.

Robertson was a shell of his Mets-self down in Miami. He lost the closer spot quickly and while the Marlins did make the playoffs, they were quickly eliminated. He went into free agency after the season ended. He’ll pitch for the Texas Rangers this year.

To get Robertson, the Marlins gave up two young prospects. Infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez were the pair. All Mets fans had a WTF moment upon seeing the return for a guy we had expected to get much more for. It didn’t take long for many of us to realize that just because we didn’t know the guys doesn’t mean they aren’t good.

Vargas is considered a top 10 Mets prospect and Hernandez is ranked at number 20 on the MLB Pipeline. They were young unknowns. Seeing where they fit into the farm system, this one grades out well especially with how things went for Robertson in Miami.

Grade: B+