Stock Down: San Diego Padres and New York Mets should be trade deadline sellers
If there is one thing that the 2023 season has taught us, money doesn’t guarantee winning. Just ask the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. Both teams spent big last offseason and both are likely going to be on the outside looking in come October.
It’s going to be tough for Padres GM A.J. Preller and Mets GM Billy Eppler to wave the white flag to their fanbase, but looking ahead it’s what they need to do. San Diego is 5-7 since the All-Star break and the Mets have faded as well, losing two out of three last weekend against the Boston Red Sox.
San Diego should sell high on pitchers Blake Snell and Josh Hader. Snell has been fantastic this season and his numbers are no reflection of how he’s pitched. With the way he’s pitched this season, any run support and the Padres are at least closer in the Wild Card standings. Hader has 24 saves in 28 chances and what an addition to the backend of a contender’s bullpen he would be. Both are free agents after the season, so selling them makes too much sense.
The Mets have some arms that teams are interested in. Justin Verlander is a starter who could be moved, while Adam Ottavino out of the bullpen is someone New York should sell on. Tommy Pham and Mark Canha are bats that could be moved while it’s hard to see someone taking Max Scherzer off of their hands.