MMO Roundtable: Should Mets Be Buyers Or Sellers?

Can you believe we’re already more than halfway through the season? With the trade deadline looming, we’re paying attention to every rumor and every move the Mets make. Stay tuned to MMO, as you know we’ll have all the news for you.

In terms of what we think, well, will the Mets be buys or sellers? Is it still too early to tell? Here’s what we think.

Mike Mayer

Steve Cohen, the Mets front office, and fans would’ve laughed at this question in January, but here we are because the Mets finished the first half 42-48 and 7 games back from a Wild Card spot. That said, I think the Mets would likely have to be somewhere like 8-10 games out of a playoff spot at the end of July for them to really be sellers. I don’t believe the Mets are the type of team that could do some combo of buying/selling, given that the two top rental pieces are Tommy Pham and David Robertson –two of the team’s most important pieces from the first half. The Mets don’t have a ton of enticing short-term contacts other than those two players that they would be able to get solid prospects for. Combine all that with the fact that Steve Cohen likely doesn’t want to be seen as a seller, and Buck Showalter and Billy Eppler are fighting for their jobs, I would expect the Mets to buy at the deadline.

However, how strongly they decide to buy at the deadline, will likely depend on if they’re 3 games out of a wild card sport or 7 games.

Johnluke Chaparro

I’ll try to keep it as brief as I can. The Mets are going to be buyers. Management feels that this current crop can make it to a playoff spot and with the third WC in place, it’s certainly possible. The team has positioned themselves to compete for it and there’s no reason for management to not want to find reinforcements. Plus having the largest payroll in baseball, it won’t be a good look to sit and give away assets, especially if the team is still somewhat in reach of a spot.

John Sheridan

I mean, what are they selling? Tommy Pham? Mark Canha? Omar Narváez? Other than David Robertson, the Mets are getting much in return at the trade deadline. You could trade Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, but then you’re stuck replacing them as you seek to try to win in 2024.

Ultimately, the Mets are stuck in limbo. They’re not in a position to buy, and they can’t really sell. The answer may just be to move the aforementioned spare parts while trying to buy players under contract for next season.

Rich Sparago

The answer to this question is that the question cannot be answered at this time. The Mets have a little over two weeks until the deadline. After those two weeks, they could be two or three games under .500 and perhaps four games out of the last wildcard. In that case, they should be cautious buyers, adding selectively when the price is not too high. Alternatively, the Mets can be ten games under .500 and nine games out (or worse). In this case, they should sell off expiring contracts (not Verlander or Scherzer, since they will need pitching in 2024 and the farm is fairly barren). So, the best answer is “it depends.” The Mets will chart their course with their play in the first two weeks after the break.

Dan Quiñones

The Mets aren’t really in a great position to buy or sell as of today. They can sell the players that are on expiring contracts, but aside from Robertson, there won’t be much of a return there. They can buy and try to get back in the race, but they’re not close enough to a playoff spot to justify buying rental players. Which direction they lean will ultimately depend on how well they play coming out of the break, but I wouldn’t expect any significant moves until the winter. The core they have is talented enough to win which makes a total fire sale unrealistic, but they clearly haven’t put it together over the first three and a half months of the season. The most likely scenario is a slow trade deadline (possibly going after players who have multiple years of team control) before making changes in the offseason to build a winner for 2024.

Christian De Block

It is difficult to tell what the Mets’ stance is with the deadline more than two weeks away, but if I had to lean in one direction or another, they should be cautious buyers. Is this group of players capable of going on a run and earning a Wild Card spot in the National League? Yes, but that is certainly far from a guarantee. The Mets will begin the second half seven games out of a playoff spot with 72 games to go. If they decide to buy, the No. 1 priority has to be making additions to their bullpen. Other than that, this group has what it takes to play better baseball. Now it is time for them to show that for the remainder of the regular season.

Andrew Steele-Davis

The fact we’re even having this discussion highlights how disappointing a season it has been so far. Even a red-hot start to July was just putting lipstick on a pig, and there is very little margin for error coming out of the All-Star break for this team if they want to claim a wild card spot. However, in saying that, I can’t ever see owner Steve Cohen waving the white flag and becoming a seller. I just don’t see that being in his DNA. Couple that with the fact veterans Tommy Pham and David Robertson would be the two most attractive pieces at the Trade Deadline, it doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Mets to be sellers. I think the more relevant question is how big a buyer they will be, and that will depend on what happens the rest of the way in July. I think if the Mets can hang on in there and claw their way closer to a wild card spot, they will be more aggressive at the Deadline.

However, if they fall further back, I think there will be minor additions just for the sake of optics with the fanbase. It’s also important to note that GM Billy Eppler is probably fighting for his job right now, so he’s going to want to buy in order to give himself the best possible chance to survive long-term.

Chris Bello

The answer to this question is a couple of weeks away. If the Mets start the second half strong, then they should absolutely add a piece to get them to the dance. However, if the Mets fall out of the pennant race with a rough two weeks after the all-star break, then the club should sell, or retool the roster to give them more flexibility in 2024.