Buster Olney of ESPN is reporting the Mets have indicated to other teams they have yet to decide whether they will be strict sellers or buyers at the 2019 trade deadline.
The Mets are currently in fourth place in the National League East with their 39-48 record and their 48 losses are tied for the second most in the NL (only Marlins have more with 52). The Mets have lost 8 of their last 10 and have fell to 12.5 games behind the first place Atlanta Braves.
Despite all of that, the Mets are 6.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. FanGraphs has the Mets chance of making the playoffs at 7.5% right now with a 0.6% chance they win the division.
On May 23, the Mets had a 24.2% chance of making the playoffs while the Nationals had a 22.2% chance. Since that day, the Nationals have gone 26-10 and the Mets gone 15-22.
The Mets have been inconsistent all season long and it’s tough to imagine them doing anything prior to the July 31 hard deadline to do anything that pushes them into buyers. They have 20 games left before the deadline and only five of them come against teams with a winning record.
Zack Wheeler and Todd Frazier are the Mets two most obvious trade assets as pending free agents. Wheeler has pitched better than his 4.42 ERA would indicate (3.63 FIP, 3.81 xFIP) and he has a 1.86 ERA over his last three starts. Meanwhile, Frazier has put together a solid season with a .256/.335/.450 line and a 1.3 bWAR.
Left-handed starter Jason Vargas and struggling outfielder Juan Lagares will be free agents after the 2019 too if the Mets decline their 2020 options. The Mets could try to cash in on the resurgence of Vargas (3.77 ERA, 1.3 WAR) in a market looks pitching dry.
Could the Mets go beyond that to make guys like Wilson Ramos (struggled defensively), Noah Syndergaard (Mets were open to trading in offseason), and Seth Lugo (relievers very valuble on trade market) available?
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen certainly struck out on his first offseason and now all eyes will be on how he handles his first trade deadline.
