Four Trades the Mets Could Make
Former Major League Baseball general manager Jim Bowden gave his insight on possible trade proposals involving the Mets.
The current writer for The Athletic received hundreds of trade proposals to analyze with more than a handful coming from curious Mets fans. Bowden looked at possible deals for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo, Oakland A’s pitcher Chris Bassitt, Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte.
The first proposal Bowden looked at was the Mets trading Jeff McNeil and Ronny Mauricio to the Reds for Castillo.
This is a fair offer talent-wise, but the Reds don’t need middle-infield help. If they trade Castillo, they have to get back starting pitching and an outfield power bat as the return.
The return for Castillo will be cheap. He struggled at the start of 2021 but he possesses Cy Young potential. The Mets have neither a starting pitcher nor outfield power bat in the MLB top 100 prospect rankings. Maybe the Mets include one of J.T. Ginn or Matt Allan and Mark Vientos to get this deal done.
Proposal two is Mark Vientos and J.D. Davis for the A’s Bassitt.
The A’s would pass on this offer without a counter proposal. Not enough meat on the bone.
Bassitt will be 33 by the time the season starts and is coming off an All-Star season where he went 12-4 across 27 starts for a 3.15 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Bassitt has quietly been one of the best pitchers in baseball for the last three seasons. It’s possible this proposal displays how little opposing GMs value Vientos and Davis, considering Bassitt is a UFA at the end of 2022.
In proposal three the Mets send McNeil, Dominic Smith, and Ginn to the Brewers for Hader.
But now you’ve made me an offer I can’t refuse (as the Brewers). I think Smith, if given a chance to play first base every day, would hit .300 with 20 home run power and a .350 on-base percentage. McNeil has been a .300 hitter in three of his four big-league seasons, and Ginn projects as a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter. I think this trade is too good for the Brewers to pass up. I’m making it. I’m making it from the Mets’ perspective, too, and think it would be a game-changer for them.
There is no question that Hader has been the best relief pitcher in baseball since becoming Milwaukee’s closer in 2018. Hader is a three-time All-Star who had the best season of his career in 2021. The dominant lefty struck out 102 batters in 58.2 innings on his way to 34 saves and a 1.23 ERA. Would the Mets be willing to part with core depth and bench pieces for a closer?
Edwin Diaz and his stretches of frustration also has stretches of brilliance. He’s been reliable from a health standpoint for three seasons but fans cannot shake the sour taste from his 2019 debut. Diaz is only under contract through 2022 while Hader is still arbitration-eligible in 2023. This feels more like a swing for the fences trade deadline move than anything.
The final proposal is Davis, Mauricio, Ginn, and David Peterson for D-Backs outfielder Ketel Marte.
Load up the truck and send the Diamondbacks quantity for quality. I’d make this trade if I’m the Mets, but not if I’m Arizona. Instead, I’d counter with catcher Francisco Álvarez and third baseman Brett Baty for Marte, who is under team control through 2024 with affordable ’23 and ’24 club options.
Prospect huggers won’t like Bowden’s proposal of trading Álvarez and Baty for Marte. Marte is a switch-hitting 28-year-old who can play second base, shortstop, and outfield. He finished fourth in MVP voting in 2019 with a .329/.389/.592 slash line with 32 home runs and 92 runs batted in. He had some bad luck on injuries in 2021 but across his 90 games hit .318/.377/.532. The Mets hope Álvarez or Baty could do that so why not pull the trigger for a World Series run.
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