It's easy to forget this so soon after Opening Day, but the trade deadline is actually a mere two weeks away. And as of this moment, there is little if any action brewing with the Mets.
According to the people familiar with the team’s thinking, it is simply too soon to say if the Mets will be buyers, sellers, or nonparticipants in whatever trade action occurs. This week’s games against the Marlins and Yankees could go a long way towards setting a course.
Viewed through one lens, the Mets are too talented to bail on the season and move free agents-to-be like Justin Wilson, Wilson Ramos, Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha and others. A full 16 teams will make the playoffs this year; can the Mets really determine by the end of the month that they won’t be one of them?
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Viewed through another lens, this isn’t exactly looking like the 1986 squad. The Mets are at the bottom of the National League East and have endured many injuries and disappointments.
Robert Gsellman is in the rotation; Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman are not. Steven Matz seems lost. Pete Alonso and Amed Rosario are searching. Edwin Diaz is sharp … unless he’s closing games. Given all that, will it be tempting to see what the Mets can get for their veterans in what will probably be a strong market for sellers?
As of now, executives do not anticipate many impactful moves in the industry as a whole. The logistics of a trade during the pandemic are burdensome. With expanded playoffs, there will be very few sellers, meaning that prices will be high. If Brodie Van Wagenen does decide to move players, he could do well.
If he decides to buy instead, he will have a tough task. The Mets need multiple starting pitchers, a hard order to fill in any season, let alone a shortened one with expanded playoffs.
If we had to make a reporting-based prediction today, we’d say that Van Wagenen will at most attempt supplemental moves, understanding that he has to essentially ride with what he has in this unique year. But if his team remains in the cellar, a more aggressive course could become more logical.