New York Mets: Trade Deadline Overview
After capturing the National League pennant last season, the New York Mets are gearing up for another deep playoff run. But to do that, they will need to be buyers at the trade deadline.
The New York Mets made a deep run during the 2015 playoffs, surprising everyone when they made the World Series with such a young pitching rotation. With breakout performances from Noah Syndergaard and second baseman Daniel Murphy throughout the playoffs, the Mets were able to fend off the Los Angeles Dodgers and sweep the Chicago Cubs. However, they were unable to defeat the Kansas City Royals, falling just short of their third World Series.
The offseason was a big one for this team, as trade deadline acquisition Yoenis Cespedes re-signed with the club.
Next was deciding on what to do with Murphy, who rejected the Mets’ qualifying offer. He eventually signed with the Washington Nationals. However, though Murphy’s departure hurt the Mets, the team made up for it, trading Jon Niese to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Neil Walker.
The team also signed Asdrubal Cabrera to play shortstop and thus fixed their lineup holes. Or so they thought.
Currently, the Mets are 34-28, 4.5 games behind the Nationals in the NL East. They own the second Wild Card spot by two games, but have not built a healthy lead like expected in the preseason.
Where do the Mets go from here?
The Mets have arguably the best starting rotation in baseball, boasting the likes of Syndergaard (6-2, 2.00 ERA), Steven Matz (7-3, 2.71 ERA), Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.80 ERA), and Matt Harvey (4-8, 4.66 ERA).
However, while these pitchers are reliable to throw deep into ball games, the lead is not always preserved. The team has let countless games slip through its fingers, both because of struggling relievers and hitters.
Only two relievers have an ERA under 3.25. Their closer, Jeurys Familia, has been his dominant self, posting 21 saves and a 3.56 ERA. However, after these three players, there is not much as far as reliability goes.
Hitting is where the team is struggling most. David Wright and Lucas Duda are on the disabled list, Curtis Granderson is hitting an abysmal .218, and the team has no batter hitting above .300.
They produce no run support for their pitchers, ranked 28th in the majors with 229 runs. Their batting average as a whole is .233, good for 27th.
The Mets already made two moves this season to try and fix their hitting woes, acquiring 2B/OF Kelly Johnson from the Atlanta Braves and 1B James Loney from the San Diego Padres.
But, there is a lot more to address if the team wants to make another playoff run and more importantly, take home their first World Series since 1986.
Next: Fixing the Bullpen
As mentioned earlier, the bullpen has been one of the team’s weak spots. Four of New York’s starting pitchers currently have an ERA better than all but two relief pitchers. The only pitcher that has been reliable with an ERA worse than these starters is Familia.
Familia’s ERA is north of 3.50, but he has yet to blow a save. Leading the major leagues with 21 saves proves that the workhorse closer is reliable day-in and day-out. However, other than Familia, there are very few relievers manager Terry Collins can rely on.
At last year’s deadline, the Mets acquired former closer Addison Reed. He was put right into the seventh inning role behind Familia and then-Met Tyler Clippard. He posted a 1.17 ERA over 17 games. This season has been nothing different for the right-hander. In 31 games, Reed is 1-0 with an 1.82 ERA and 10.6 K/9 rate.
The other reliable reliever has been left-hander Jerry Blevins. Blevins threw five shutout innings while with the Mets last season but never found a consistent role in the team’s bullpen until 2016. Now, he’s their go-to left-hander. In 15.2 innings, Blevins has a 1.72 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.
However, with Blevins being the lefty specialist and Reed the set-up man for the Mets, that means the team still needs one or two more late inning options. Though deGrom, Syndergaard, and the rest of the rotation can give a good seven innings every outing, in the games they fall short, the Mets need relievers who can come in and preserve the lead – or if they’re behind, come in and not give up any insurance runs.
Hansel Robles and Jim Henderson have been solid, posting a 3.25 and 3.52 ERA respectively. Free agent pickup Antonio Bastardo has been rough, posting a 4.33 ERA over 25 appearances. Logan Verrett, who started off the season hot, has gone cold and found himself with a demotion to Triple-A.
The team needs to find another player to replicate what Reed did in the seventh inning for the Mets back in 2015 (or a better set-up man and move Reed to the seventh). Regardless, there is work to be done for the Mets in its bullpen.
Next: Adding a Catcher
While Travis d’Arnaud has been injured for all but 13 games this season and is nearing a return to the team, adding another catcher is imperative for the Mets.
In those 13 games, d’Arnaud is hitting .196 with just one RBI. The previous year he played in just 67 games and while he produced (.268, 12 home runs), the Mets still had to find a fill-in for him for 93 games.
This year, the Mets have tried two separate catchers: Kevin Plawecki and Rene Rivera. Both catchers are struggling at the plate, hitting .205 and .143 respectively. As a whole, all three catchers produce an under .200 batting average, three home runs and just 18 RBI.
Knowing d’Arnaud’s injury history, the Mets need to look toward adding another catcher – both as a precaution and as a back-up plan in case the 27-year-old’s woes at the plate continue.
Not only that, but adding a catcher also allows the Mets to move on from Rivera/Plawecki, who have done little to help the team this year. Having a catcher who is defensively sound and solid at the plate would be a big upgrade for the Mets.
Adding a veteran who is about to enter free agency to lock down the fort and teach d’Arnaud is a must at this point in the year.
Next: Grabbing the Ax(ford)
Marc Rzepczynski and John Axford – Oakland Athletics
Sitting 10 games under .500 and 12.5 out of first place in the American League West, the Oakland Athletics look to be sellers at the trade deadline.
Two of their relievers who could find their way to the Big Apple are Marc Rzepczynski and John Axford. The reliever most likely to leave the A’s is Rzepczynski, who will be a free agent after this season. However, Axford would be with the team for two years and could prove to be a reliable set-up man for Familia.
Rzepczynski is a left-hander who has had his ups and downs throughout his career. Over eight years he’s had an ERA as high as 5.66 and as low as 2.74. In 2016, the 30-year-old has pitched in 21.2 innings and boasts a 3.32 ERA.
Adding Rzepczynski would help give the Mets another lefty-specialist to pitch beside Blevins. He would not be able to fill-in as the seventh inning man, however. That’s where Axford comes in.
Axford, the former Milwaukee closer, has found himself stuck in a rut in Oakland. Ryan Madson is currently the closer for the A’s and with Sean Doolittle also in the bullpen, Axford’s role changes between set-up man and seventh inning reliever.
If the Mets were to trade for the right-hander, the team could use him in a similar situation as the A’s, as he would battle Reed as the set-up man to Familia. While he’d be more expensive than Rzepczynski, Axford has proven to be reliable late in games and has prior experience closing if Familia ever needs rest.
Will Smith, Jeremy Jeffress, and Blaine Boyer – Milwaukee Brewers
After rehabbing back from a torn LCL, Will Smith has returned to the back to the bullpen for the Brewers. In six games since being activated off the disabled list, Smith has thrown lights out, not allowing a single run and posting a WHIP of 0.53.
With the Brewers three games under .500 and 14 games behind the Chicago Cubs, they will be sellers at the trade deadline.
Both Smith and Jeremy Jeffress are among the best options when it comes to relief pitchers, as both are currently battling to be the team’s closer. Right now, Jeffress (2.67 ERA, 18 saves) has held down the fort, but manager Craig Counsell mentioned Smith will get looks in the near future.
Smith and Jeffress have proven to be lock-down options over the past few years for Milwaukee and would be great additions to a contending team. Enter the Mets. While Familia would be the closer, Smith and/or Jeffress could slide into the set-up or seventh inning roles seamlessly.
Both relievers hit arbitration after this year, which is an enticing offer for the Mets. While the Brewers will demand more for these two relievers because of arbitration, the Mets could lock-down either Smith or Jeffress as their set-up man until they become free agents in 2020.
Another Brewer that could be shipped away at the trade deadline and will be a free agent at the end of this year is right-hander Blaine Boyer. After a rocky start to his career, Boyer has produced a great 2016 campaign thus far, posting a 2.03 ERA in 31 innings.
Boyer is the cheapest option of the trio, but he is not as reliable as Smith and Jeffress. While his ERA is near the 2.00 mark, his career ERA over 10 years is 4.03.
Alexi Ogando – Atlanta Braves
Alexi Ogando has bounced around the majors since his rookie year with Texas. The 32-year-old right-hander has finally settled back down since his dominant first few years in the majors, posting a 3.86 ERA and 8.4 K/9 ratio.
The Atlanta Braves sit dead last in the National League East, 26 games under .500 and will definitely be shopping their expiring contracts, Ogando being one of them.
The Mets can use Ogando in the middle-to-end of the game, giving depth to the weak Mets bullpen. And the plus to acquiring him? The Mets will not have to give up much for him.
Next: The Lucroy Effect
Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers
As mentioned earlier, d’Arnaud has had his struggles staying healthy. That’s where adding a veteran catcher comes into play. A name that has been put on the block and could be a perfect fit for the Mets is Jonathan Lucroy.
Lucroy has been among the best catchers in the National League for years and is currently having another All-Star caliber season. The right-hander boasts a slash line of .303/.362/.512 with nine home runs, 11 doubles and 29 RBI.
However, this move would push d’Arnaud into the backup role – something the Mets are not ready to do yet. A way to help give d’Arnaud more appearances at the plate could be moving Lucroy to first base every few games while Lucas Duda is on the disabled list. The two-headed monster behind the plate for the Mets might be a force to be reckoned with.
The only downside would be that Lucroy would only be a rental for this year, unless re-signed. He has a lot of value and the Brewers could get a few great prospects in return for the veteran.
Ken Davidoff of the New York Post says there are multiple factors keeping the Mets from pulling the trigger on a deal with the Brewers involving Lucroy. At this point, the Mets need to make a move to help their struggling hitting, and fast. Adding Lucroy could be a key difference between an early playoff exit and a World Series ring.
A.J. Pierzynski – Atlanta Braves
Nothing says veteran like A.J. Pierzynski. The 39-year-old catcher is in the middle of his 19th season in the majors and could be a cheap option for the Mets come trade deadline.
Pierzynski has played in 37 games in 2016, batting .202 with 11 RBI. While he is not the career-.281 hitter he once was, adding Pierzynski as the backup catcher could do wonders for the Mets.
For one, d’Arnaud would learn under one of the best catchers of the 2000s. He would work alongside Pierzynski and be the everyday starting catcher, like the Mets want.
Next: New York Mets Setting Up to Shop Matt Harvey?
Not only that, but Pierzynski is much better than both Plawecki and Rivera. That gives the Mets a better hitter at the plate when d’Arnaud is given a day off or gets injured again.
A cheap, low-risk, medium-reward deal could be in the works for the Mets if they choose to pounce on Pierzynski, who is a free agent at the end of the season.