3 big MLB trade deadline candidates the Mets won't come close to acquiring
July is MLB trade deadline month. At least this is the case this year. It can move into August some years. In 2024, it’ll be on July 30 when the New York Mets have to make their final moves.
More buyers than sellers thanks to an amazing June, fans are closely monitoring what the Mets can do to improve their roster. There are plenty of directions to go. Unfortunately, if you’ve already ordered a custom jersey for any of these hot MLB trade deadline candidates on a Mets jersey, you will have invested poorly. The Mets will not come close to meeting the asking price for any of them.
1) Mason Miller
Easily the hottest commodity for a team in need of some bullpen help, the natural assumption is the Oakland Athletics would part ways with their increasingly talented closer, Mason Miller. The sophomore is 1-1 with a 1.96 ERA this year while averaging 15.7 strikeouts per 9.
You’re not alone if Miller is a new name to your vocabulary this season. The third-round pick of the Athletics back in 2021, he’s a 25-year-old who spent most of his 2023 season as a starter. He pitched well, but failed to win a game and didn’t put up the same kind of numbers he has in the bullpen this year.
The years of control, the talent, and all of the upside of what he can do for a very long time have him way out of reach for what the Mets will be willing to pay. He’d cost at least one of their top five prospects. For a relief pitcher on a team that already has Edwin Diaz signed for several more years, it doesn’t make much sense. The Mets could use Miller. So could a fictional bullpen with Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and peak Eric Gagne. The Athletics have little reason to trade Miller for anything short of a haul.
As tempting as it would be to add a rising star like Miller to the bullpen, the sacrifice is far too great for a Mets team that has yet to convince us they are capable of winning a World Series.
2) Garrett Crochet
Don’t buy into any speculation about the Mets pursuing Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet. He’s doing Mason Miller types of things but as a starting pitcher. His value has skyrocketed this season. He made the opposite transition than Miller. Before this season, Crochet had only ever pitched in the big leagues as a reliever. Now, through 18 starts, Crochet leads the league with 141 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. Doing this on the worst team in baseball makes it laughable.
Crochet is an amazing talent who skipped right to the big leagues in 2020 after getting drafted 11th overall. He’d miss all of 2022 because of Tommy John surgery only to return for 25 innings in 2023 split between the minors and majors.
The White Sox took a cautionary approach with Crochet despite the quick acceleration to the majors. It’s impossible to disagree with the decision. The man is a strikeout machine. With just 20 walks this season, his command is as on-point as it gets.
This summer would be the time for the White Sox to capitalize on trading Crochet if they have intentions of rebuilding. He’s already a free agent after two more seasons. While a dream addition to the Mets rotation, the fact that they’re looking to subtract a starter from the roster doesn’t seem to indicate they’d add one of such prominence. What’s more, Crochet is going to come with an unfathomable price tag. Two of the top five Mets prospects is where it starts.
3) Luis Robert
You don’t need to look far for another unattainable yet dreamy Mets trade candidate they have zero chance of acquiring. A White Sox teammate of Crochet, Luis Robert has been a much-talked about trade candidate for this year’s deadline.
The 26-year-old is a rising star whose biggest obstacle has been staying healthy. After the shortened 2020 season, he managed to play just 68 games in 2021 and another 98 in 2022. He was an All-Star, finally, in 2023 in a season where health was finally on his side. Robert hammered 38 home runs and drove in 80 while slashing .264/.315/.542.
This year hasn’t gone nearly as well. In 31 games, meaning he has missed more than half of the year, Robert is batting .205/.279/.487 with 9 home runs and 14 RBI. The power is present but not much else. It would be a bold addition for the Mets or anyone else to take him on.
What makes Robert especially intriguing is the contract. Owed $15 million next season with $20 million team options in 2026 and 2027, he could end up as a massive bargain in what should end up as the peak of his career. Robert’s trade value hasn’t taken as huge of a hit this year despite the poor performance because of the position he plays. Center fielders with his type of power are a rarity.
Robert doesn’t make enough sense for the Mets to pay the price. Harrison Bader has been fine and healthy in center field. They have Brandon Nimmo and Tyrone Taylor as alternatives, too. While Robert, at his best, can be better than Bader and Taylor by miles, selling a large part of the farm for such an injury-prone player at a position that isn’t your greatest need feels shortsighted.
Hit the delete key on any mock trade ideas you have for Robert. It ain’t happening.
This article was originally published on risingapple.com as 3 big MLB trade deadline candidates the Mets won't come close to acquiring.