The MLB Deadline is fast approaching in less than two weeks on July 31st. The New York Mets currently hold the second of three wild cards in the National League and are just a half game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the division lead in the NL East. But after some injuries last month and some underperformances in their lineup, they could really use a boost across the board to not only solidify their playoff chances, but their World Series hopes as well. Having gone 11-20 over the last month, the Mets need to get out of the rut they've been in, and these moves have the potential to do so.

OFFENSE

Outfield

Cedric Mullins

Some trade suggestions from ESPN and MLB.com have mentioned outfielder Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles as a potential trade target. Coming off their 91 win season last year, the Orioles this year can only be described as a tremendous disappointment. Baltimore is currently 11 games under .500 and are 13.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East lead and are 8.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox for the third and final wild card spot in the American League. Because of their implosion, Baltimore is expected to be a big seller at the deadline, with pending free agent Mullins being one of their bigger names on the move. 

Jo Adell 

A better target for the Mets could be Jo Adell, center fielder for the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels are currently two games under . 500 and are four games behind the Red Sox for the final AL Wild Card. They face a tough stretch coming out of the All-Star break that will make or break their season. LA flies east to play the Phillies for three, then coming to New York for a three game series against the Mets. After that, the Angels fly back home to face division rivals Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers, both of whom sit above LA in both the division and wild card race. 

Jarren Duran

Another outfielder that has been floated as a potential trade target for the Mets is Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. Like Adell, Duran is under team control for another few seasons, becoming a free agent after the 2028 season. But Duran has a much different skill set than Adell. Adell's biggest threat is his power bat, while Duran relies more on his speed. 2024 proved to be a breakout campaign for Duran, being named to his first All-Star team and winning the All-Star MVP. In his first full year in the majors last year, Duran hit for a .285 with an excellent OPS of .834. Duran mashed 21 HRs out of the leadoff spot while scoring 111 runs. He also lead all of baseball in doubles with 48 and tied for an MLB best 15 triples with Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. 

Third Base

Eugenio Suárez

For third base, there really is only one prime target that will be available, Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The slugging third baseman is expected to have many potential suitors including the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and a potential reunion in the Seattle Mariners. While his batting average is a bit low at .254, Suárez has been a one man wrecking crew for the D-Backs this year. Named to just his second All-Star team, Suárez has crushed an NL leading 35 HRs this season so far and driven in 85 runs to boot, also to lead the National League. With his power numbers surging, Suárez's bat would provide a shot in the arm for the Mets lineup that already has great sluggers in Pete Alonso and Juan Soto. 

From ESPN.....

Unable to reach agreement on a trade for Chad Cordero, the Mets and Nationals were said to be also talking to the Diamondbacks about a possible three-team deal. According to an official of one team that had spoken with those clubs, the Mets and Nationals ran into a hang-up over the Mets' refusal to include a second prospect in the trade. It's believed that the Mets were willing to trade highly regarded pitching prospect Phil Humber for Cordero, but when they were unable to agree on a second piece, the Nationals sought to expand the deal. However, the official said the Mets were adamant about making a one-for-one swap, so the chances of an expanded deal were described as unlikely.

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The Gagne sweepstakes was down to the Red Sox and Brewers by Tuesday afternoon. The Yankees and Mets signaled that by turning their attention to other deals, according to executives from multiple teams. The Mets said no on any of their young outfieldes -- Carlos Gomez, Fernando Martinez and Lastings Milledge. Read More...

A number of sources including MetsBlog and MLB Trade Rumors are reporting that the Mets have acquired second baseman Luis Castillo from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor leaguers Drew Butera and Dustin Martin.

This seems like a good trade for the Mets, it brings a veteran second baseman who still has decent speed, a good on base percentage and an above average glove, to replace the unproven Ruben Gotay, who the Mets believe can one day be the future second baseman. From what I gather, the Mets weren't very high on Butera or Martin anyway, so this upgrade comes at a small price.

In other news, the Braves have been busy today, acquiring First Baseman Mark Teixeira, and appear to be close to landing former Met Octavio Dotel. The Braves gave up two big prospects in Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Elvis Andrus for Teixeira, which tells me the Braves are looking to make a serious push for the playoffs this season.

Omar better have something in the works for a big time reliever within the next 24 hours to counter the braves moves, otherwise we could be looking at a closer race than we anticipated. Read More...

When I write my article next Thursday all the MLB trade rumors will be over and done with, due to the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline passing this upcoming Tuesday. This means no more thinking that the Mets will acquire Dontrelle Willis for Scott Schoeneweis (hahahaha); or something else wild that we can only dream about. Of course with the trade deadline coming, the debate of "Do we trade prospects for ballplayers that are established?" will come into play. Will players like Lastings Milledge, Carlos Gomez, and Fernando Martinez be a Met after July 31st? I most certainly hope so.

While thinking of what to write about before the deadline, I came across a great article on the SNY website; written by Ted Berg. It's almost like we share a brain, because I agree 110% with what he is saying. While we have our share of veterans like Delgado, Green, and Lo Duca, we also have a lot of up-and-coming players that have already contributed. Players like Gotay, Gomez, Reyes, Milledge, Maine, and Perez--all of which are between the ages of 22 and 26--could help out the Mets for a while to come. In addition to these ballplayers who have contributed, we also have Mike Pelfrey, and Mike Carp waiting in the wings.

Why trade any of these ballplayers for a guy who might only be here for 3 months, and then go back to his old team (Mike Bordick anyone)? Of course it's hard to tell if Gotay will pan out to be a great, like Wally Backman; or a dud, like Carlos Baerga. Will Lastings Milledge be the next Dave Kingman, or the next Alex Ochoa? Let's not make the same mistake that Jim Duquette did in 2004, by trading our stud Scott Kazmir for a broken Victor Zambrano. Let's make it so that we are not just contenders in 2007, but contenders for years to come.

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Now that the all star game is over, the Mets can settle into playing everyday again after their layoff. With the season more than half over, here begins the stretch run towards the playoffs. That first step in the stretch run is the trading deadline where teams can wheel and deal in attempts to make their team better, without having players pass through the waiver wire. Mets fans can remember numerous deadline deals made over the last several years including the infamous Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano deal (Kazmir is free in 2011 and a Boras client for those of you wondering.).

The most important thing for any team this time of year is to figure out whether or not you want to be a buyer or a seller. Obviously, the Mets are in a position to be a buyer whether that means acquiring a starting pitcher, reliever, or corner outfielder. This trading deadline is trickier than normal though. First off, we have several ballplayers that are coming back momentarily in the pitching and outfield department. For example, even though we were in a pinch for starting pitching before the all star break, Oliver Perez and Jorge Sosa are due to be activated shortly after the all star break. With Pedro Martinez starting his rehab assignment shortly, that will be adding a boost to the rotation. Hopefully, since Martinez is coming back that means that Scott Schoenweis is shown the door.

The outfield is another tough area right now to decide upon. Gomez, Alou, Chavez, and Milledge are all in the wings. Gomez is the farthest off as he probably won’t be seen until the early part of September. However, Alou and Milledge should be back shortly with Chavez coming back within the next few weeks. Do we continue to wait around? It’s inevitable that the surplus of outfielders and pitchers will happen, but how patient can we be?

So what is the answer to these questions? Nobody really knows but the Mets general manager Omar Minaya. I am positive that Omar is on the phone seeing who is available with regards to keeping Pelfrey and Humber. It should be an interesting next 3 weeks for Mets fans, especially if we become consistent.


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