3 Up, 3 Down: Trade Deadline Recap Special

It proved to be a busy trade deadline for the New York Mets.

President of baseball operations David Stearns managed to address a number of key needs. The bullpen was bolstered, while center field received a much-needed upgrade.

However, on the flip side, the Mets were unable to deal for another starter. You could also make a compelling argument that another bat was needed.

With that said, it was a very positive trade deadline overall for the Mets. And, on that note, let’s dive into a special edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

NOT GIVING UP THE FARM

This trade deadline was a seller’s market. Selling teams were asking for a lot in return for their assets, and we saw that in a slew of different trades. That’s why David Stearns deserves extra credit for not giving up any of the Mets’ premium prospects, including the likes of Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Jonah Tong. Granted, the front office did give up a ton in the return package for reliever Tyler Rogers. Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell were both included in that deal. Gilbert ranked No. 14 on Michael Mayer’s midseason list of top 50 prospects in New York’s system. Tidwell was No. 19. Meanwhile, infielder Jesus Baez, who was part of the package sent to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley, was ranked No. 7. Therefore, Stearns was able to keep hold of his farm system gems while still acquiring players that should help this team to win now.

BULLPEN UPGRADE

Arguably the biggest need for the Mets approaching the deadline was bullpen help. As a result, Stearns deserves a lot of credit for how he went about bolstering the bullpen. He took full advantage of the slew of relievers available by acquiring three high-end arms. Gregory Soto is the kind of hard-throwing lefty reliever that the Mets have lacked all year long. Tyler Rogers is a submarine pitcher who offers a unique skillset, and Ryan Helsley is a flamethrower with nasty stuff. All of a sudden, the Mets now have one of the deepest and most dangerous bullpens in all of baseball. What was a considerable weakness is now a significant strength.

Manager Carlos Mendoza will now have the luxury of using Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek in the middle innings. Then, it will be up to a combination of Soto, Rogers, Helsley and Edwin Díaz to shut down offenses and help secure wins. Helsley’s addition is an exciting one given the way he can overpower hitters. And Rogers is arguably one of the most efficient and underrated relievers in all of baseball. New York now has a bullpen that has the potential to do some real damage in October.

UPGRADING IN CENTER

I was never thrilled about the prospect of the Mets trading for Luis Robert Jr., while I’ve always been a big fan of Cedric Mullins. Therefore, I think the right center fielder was acquired at the deadline. Granted, Mullins isn’t the player he once was. But he’s an upgrade offensively over Tyrone Taylor, and he offers better defense in center field than Jeff McNeil. Mullins is currently hitting .229/.305/.433/.738 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. He also has 19 doubles, 14 stolen bases and 34 walks this year. The veteran is also capable of making highlight-reel plays with the glove. Furthermore, maybe the chance to play in a more talented lineup with an opportunity to compete for a World Series will lead to a resurgence for Mullins.

3 DOWN

FALSE START

As productive as the trade deadline was for the Mets, more could still have been done. You can make a strong argument that another starter was needed. With Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea still ramping up, coupled with Clay Holmes‘ current downwards trajectory, there are question marks hovering over this rotation. Plus, when you consider that the likes of Twins RHP Joe Ryan, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen all stayed put, maybe New York missed an opportunity to get even better. After all, you can’t win without pitching, and a lot will have to go right in order for this rotation to thrive down the stretch and into October.

Maybe Holmes will get the train back on the tracks. Maybe Senga and Manaea will stay healthy and turn back into dominant arms. Maybe some of the top pitching prospects will come up and produce. Then it won’t matter. But, as of right now, it is hard to argue that the rotation didn’t need some more quality depth.

NOT ENOUGH

Adding just one bat was never going to be enough to fix what has been a maddeningly inconsistent offense. And, even if Mullins proves to be a home run addition, that won’t solve all of the offensive flaws. This lineup is too streaky, and it continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. Of course, it will be up to the stars and those now on the roster to step up and play to the back of their baseball cards. But, seeing some of the names moved on Thursday, it isn’t a stretch to say that acquiring another big bat would have really helped to lengthen the lineup. Not doing so could make a real difference once we reach October.

POTENTIAL LOGJAM

The Mets didn’t have to trade one of their infielders at the trade deadline. That’s great at first glance. However, not doing so could create some problems down the stretch. New York now has a boatload of infielders and only so many at-bats to give out. Following the addition of Mullins, Jeff McNeil will now seemingly move back to second base. Furthermore, it seems that Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty will all share playing time at third. Luisangel Acuña is also still in the mix. It sure feels like one of those players will end up being a bit-part player down the stretch run. It will be interesting to see who that is, and how the Mets navigate that. Maybe it would have made more sense to have traded one or two of those infielders in order to further strengthen a real area of need.

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