Five Under-The-Radar Mets Who Could Be Traded

With the trade deadline approaching, the Mets are going to be sellers for the third straight year. Aside from the obvious expiring contracts and Noah Syndergaard, the Mets have some interesting names they could move before July 31.

Dominic Smith, 1B/LF: .295/.380/.527, 8 HR, 14 RBI, 1.2 fWAR

Smith has been one of the few pleasant surprises the Mets have had this season, but still has no true space on the roster. Smith by trade is a first baseman, but is currently stuck in left field due to the potential Rookie of the Year playing first base for the Mets.

Despite playing a decent left field, with +1 DRS so far, Smith’s lack of range and very limited outfield experience will bring his defensive metrics crashing back down to reality, showing that he is not a serious option to be the Mets’ everyday left fielder.

Although Smith is only 24, he has an abundance of trade value. He is under control through 2023, and club control adds to a player’s trade value. He is someone who can play a good first base, a passable left field, and can DH in the American League.

Steven Matz, LHP: 5-6, 4.89 ERA, 18 G, 16 GS

Matz has had a very interesting year for the Mets, at times seeming to be one of the better starters on the team, while at times seeming to be nothing more than a stopgap until Anthony Kay is promoted.

After late June and early July struggles got the best of Matz, he asked to be moved to the bullpen to try and re-center his season. Matz, aside from one awful start in Philly, has been relatively solid. In his starts aside from the awful one in Philly, he has a 4.22 ERA on the year.

Matz is a reliable starter who will give you at the least five innings of competitive baseball nine times out of ten. His ability to pitch out of the bullpen also brings value to the playoffs, being that he can start the remainder of the season and then come out of the ‘pen in October. It should also be mentioned that Matz has a 3.68 ERA in 14.2 playoff innings.

Justin Wilson, LHRP: 1-1, 3.86 ERA, 13 G

Wilson was one of Brodie Van Wagenen’s big offseason moves, and he may not make it through half a season with the team. The veteran left-hander has been out most of the year with arm issues, but is now back on the active roster.

Wilson has one year left on his contract after this season at $5 million, making his contract very movable. He can be used as a LOOGY if need be, but profiles as a one-to-multi-inning guy with a plus fastball out of the ‘pen.

If the Mets rebuild, it would be wise for them to move the veteran reliever and give more minor league relievers a chance at the pro level, like how they approached Drew Smith and Daniel Zamora last season.

Michael Conforto, OF: .241/.357/.468, 17 HR, 47 RBI, 1.6 fWAR

If the Mets do decide to move Conforto, it would be a seismic shift in the direction of the franchise. The Mets very obviously need a healthy Conforto to even hope of contention in 2020, but if they decide to pivot more towards 2022/2023 contention, moving Conforto should be on the to-do list.

At 26, Conforto should be just entering his prime. He has two years of contract control left after this season, adding more value to the player. Conforto is also historically a second-half performer. He has a career .263/.347/.515 second-half slash line, and an OPS that is .062 higher in the second half than the first.

Conforto’s positional versatility — all three outfield spots and DH — provides flexibility for wherever he may land.

Robert Gsellman, RHRP: 1-1, 5.14 ERA, 41 G

Gsellman is probably the most likely name on this list to be moved considering his age, pitch repertoire, and contract control.

He is a sinker-baller who uses the pitch about half the time, while also working in a mix of a fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball. Being a five-pitch pitcher gives Gsellman the ability to always use what’s best for him on that current day, and having a large selection of pitches to choose from.

Gsellman was a starter during the 2016 playoff run, but his days as a starter appear to be behind him. He can work multiple innings, which could set him up to be an opener if moved to a team like Tampa that uses an opener. This pairing could work very well for both sides, seeing as Gsellman used to use a starter’s pregame routine, and Tampa uses the opener more than most teams in baseball.

Honorable Mentions: Wilson Ramos, Luis Guillorme, Edwin Diaz