3 NY Mets trades about to happen in a better alternative universe

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If comic books can do it, so can we. Somewhere in another timeline, in an alternative universe, the New York Mets are one of the biggest MLB trade deadline buyers. They might not be leading the National League East, but they’re holding onto a playoff spot and ready to add to the roster.

In this alternative reality, rain comes steadily and not in bunches or with long delays between. There are no Canadian wildfires. Congestion pricing has been outlawed.

It’s a much better place to live instead of where we are. The Mets have let us down in this stream of consciousness. What’s going on in this other, not so dark, timeline?

1) The Bizarro NY Mets are making a splash for Lucas Giolito and Liam Hendriks

There isn’t a scenario or universe where the Mets don’t need to add a starting pitcher. They also need bullpen help. For a little help, they turn to the Chicago White Sox.

Impending free agent Lucas Giolito is the answer for the Mets’ rotation woes. Reliever Liam Hendriks, who has been linked to the Mets in the past as a trade target, comes along with him. The White Sox will be one of the biggest sellers at this year’s trade deadline. Several expiring contracts, a few big ones they’d like to get rid of, and a variety of players to move would make them a good match with the Mets.

Of course, in this reality, Jerry Reinsdorf is friends with Steve Cohen. Talk about a world much different from ours.

Instead of adding a starting pitcher and reliever, the Mets are more likely to sell Carlos Carrasco and David Robertson. Both are on expiring contracts and only Robertson should bring the Mets back something of value. He’s far from a trade candidate in this fantasy world of the Mets buying. He leads the league in holds and Edwin Diaz is having a repeat of 2022.

Giolito has already found his way to the Los Angeles Angels in our world in what appears to be a trade between Cohen haters Reinsdorf and Arte Moreno. In this much different alternative timeline where we have hot dogs for fingers (a plot point in last year's Best Picture winner by the way), Moreno calls up Cohen to congratulate him after the Mets land Giolito. They go out for frozen yogurt after because fro-yo is still a thing people do in that place.

2) The fantasy NY Mets are all over another player from Chicago, Cody Bellinger

Certain upgrades are necessary in every single timeline for the Mets. A big left-handed bat with power to play some outfield, first base, and DH is one of those types of guys we can all agree would’ve been nice to have from the start. Cody Bellinger fits this profile. The Chicago Cubs slugger is one of the more talked about trade pieces and someone the fictional Mets are going after.

Bellinger was a player many Mets fans considered a possible free agent target in the offseason. This was especially true before Brandon Nimmo got his deal. Bellinger can play center field. In a market with so few quality players available at this position, taking a chance on Bellinger was a logical next step to take.

The Mets passed on Bellinger. They won’t be the destination for him this summer unless you enter the vortex and land in an alternate reality. The Mets pay a high price for Bellinger and turn him into the left-handed bat missing from the starting lineup behind Pete Alonso.

Bellinger is already a future free agent target for the Mets. Left field will open up with the likely departure of Mark Canha and Tommy Pham. The Mets will also need to look for an upgrade over Daniel Vogelbach. Bellinger is a better hitter, but not exactly a “replacement” because of how much more he can do.

Either way, the Bizarro Mets have let the Cubs know they want Bellinger and they’re willing to pay a high price to get him.

3) The alternative NY Mets complete their trade deadline with lefty reliever Brent Suter

Billy Eppler can’t even get the Opening Day bullpen right in a fantasy land. That’s why in a fabricated trade deadline where everything has gone right for the Mets and very little has gone wrong, he’s still in search of bullpen help. The target is Colorado Rockies lefty reliever Brent Suter.

Anytime a Rockies pitcher can put up even fair numbers, it catches fans’ attention. Suter is a pending free agent after this season and sure to have a lot of teams calling about him. On certain timelines the Mets are trading for Randal Grichuk or Jurickson Profar instead. In more realities than not, it’s Suter the fans want and it’s Suter Eppler delivers.

Of all the trades Eppler has made, the one for Brooks Raley seemed to be one of the sharpest. Now a candidate to get moved by the Mets but increasingly less likely with the team option for next season, the kind of offer the Mets are giving to the Rockies in this completely fictitious world is even less than what we’d expect the price to be for Raley. That extra year of control for a left-handed bullpen arm pitching well makes him a desirable asset.

Suter, as a pure rental, isn’t going to cost the Mets any of their better prospects. A guy ranked in the teens might be the most the Rockies could hope to get. It won’t matter much in our dimension. Suter will get dealt but not to Queens.

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