The Mets are staring down the barrel of a terrible second season under Buck Showalter and Billy Eppler. Here are three trade candidates to get NY back on track.
With an estimated $340 million payroll, the New York Mets had better produce results this season.
Being 31-35 and in fourth place in the NL East is not good enough. The excuse of "Pete Alonso is injured" is not good enough. And losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon is worse than not good enough - it's just plain bad.
The Mets have now dropped eight of their last nine games and are on pace to finish 76-86, well short of 2022's shining 101-61 record. With the trade deadline coming up in less than two months, we're now at the portion of the season in which fans voice their unhappiness and frustrations and start calling for certain players to be traded.
The roster could use reinforcements at nearly every position with perhaps a noted emphasis in the bullpen. Which players could the New York put on the market in return?
Here are three trade candidates who the Mets can turn from straw to gold.
Let's be honest: the Mets have needed bullpen depth since Edwin Diaz's injury in the World Baseball Classic.
They got the ball rolling by signing veteran reliever David Robertson to a one-year, $10 million contract; at the time, Robertson was intended to pair alongside Diaz, but he's taken on a much larger role in Diaz's absence.
This would be a good time for the Mets to sell high on Robertson and acquire a longer-term player either in the bullpen or another dire position of need. The 38-year-old arm owns a sparkling 1.91 ERA through 28.1 innings, and his success this season piggybacks off of what Robertson achieved with the Cubs and Phillies in years prior.
Many of the Mets' victories in 2023 have been nail-bitingly close, and Buck Showalter has shown his reliance on Robertson along with Adam Ottavino and Brooks Raley to close out games. With Robertson set to become a free agent after this season, the team can look ahead to the future and get the most return out of the veteran reliever by fielding him now; plus, it helps that the bullpen is generally the easiest part of a team to improve midseason.
Speaking of relievers set to hit free agency, Mets arm Dominic Leone could serve as an intriguing trade piece this summer, too.
In 2023, Leone has struggled far more often than Robertson has and would command less value on the market. However, it's becoming clear that he's not a part of the club's long-term future and the Mets should at least try to see what they can get in return.
This season marks Leone's tenth MLB campaign, and the former Giant owns an ugly 5.02 ERA in 14.1 innings. Leone's 4.01 ERA with San Francisco last year hinted at his impending decline, and his 2023 performance only confirms that fact.
The right-hander hasn't seen a lot of action in a Mets uniform, usually only taking the mound in the later innings and not eating too many innings at a time.
Leone was signed to a cheap one-year deal for a reason, and it's about time the Mets upgraded the bullpen with more firepower. Leone could hardly be called a bad offseason pickup since he did provide depth in bullpen, but if the Mets are serious about contending for the playoffs, they can do much, much better.
During the Mets' pursuit of Carlos Correa, Eduardo Escobar's name was thrown out as a potential trade candidate. Despite being a veteran with a proven track record, Escobar yet again lands on this list as a shoppable piece, more so now that young talents like Brett Baty and Mark Vientos are primed to take his position.
Escobar put together a strong first season in New York and proved to be a versatile switch-hitter who could play at both second and third base. He has a 2024 club option for $9 million, a very team-friendly deal.
Yet New York has to keep its future in mind, one that should put Baty and Vientos front and center rather than Escobar.
The 32-year-old will be a desirable piece for a number of MLB teams in search of veteran offensive help, and the Mets should be able to boost their own offense in return, perhaps at the designated hitter position.
With Pete Alonso placed on IL, New York could use another power-hitter as well; alternatively, New York also needs starting pitcher reinforcements and could find a young ace to help the team beyond this season.
The possibilities are endless if the Mets put Escobar on the trading block. With the way their 2023 season is going, making a risky move like that just may be worth it.