3 stars not named Juan Soto to target in future trades

3) NY Mets superstar trade target: Shane Bieber

Bieber fever in New York would be very fun. Shane Bieber is in the uncomfortable spot of pitching for a team that's competing for a playoff spot but also knowing that the team he's on is going to trade him. The Guardians seem to always develop elite starting pitching before inevitably trading them away because they don't want to pay them.

Shane Bieber is probably next in line to be traded. With the Mets potentially losing half of their rotation this offseason, Bieber would be a welcome acquisition.

He's underwhelmed a bit this season, going 5-6 with a 3.41 ERA in 19 starts for Cleveland. Perhaps what's most concerning with Bieber is his strikeouts going from 14.2 K/9 in 2020 to 12.5/9 in 2021 all the way down to 8.9/9 this season.

Bieber is still a very good pitcher as his 2.98 FIP suggests he's gotten a bit unlucky this season. Bieber is a guy who can fit in as the number two guy behind Max Scherzer if deGrom does leave or even as an elite number three starter if deGrom stays.

Bieber will not be a free agent until after the 2024 campaign so the Mets would have him for a little while before deciding whether they want to extend him.

Bieber in a winning environment with Jeremy Hefner might even re-capture his Cy Young form. Even if he is who he is now, that's still a top 10-15 pitcher in the game.