Opinion: Mets Should Reignite Pursuit of Kris Bryant

Coming into the 2021 campaign, the New York Mets were hoping to put their previous offensive struggles behind them and transition into a much more consistent offense, however, that hasn’t been the case through the first half of the season.

Despite acquiring shortstop Francisco Lindor over the offseason, the former Cleveland Indian hasn’t exactly played up to his high expectations so far as this offense still has yet to find its groove, which has resulted in unreliable run support on a daily basis and some disappointing slugging metrics as well.

Though the Mets weren’t expected to feature the most productive lineup in baseball this season, the belief was their pitching staff wouldn’t have to worry about an insufficient amount of support but that’s exactly what’s transpired, as this team currently owns the second-lowest ISO (.138) and SLG (.308), the fifth-lowest AVG (.229), the seventh-lowest offensive WAR rating (-43.1) and is tied for the seventh-lowest wRC+ score (92) among all 30 teams in the majors, according to FanGraphs.com.

Without question, injuries have been one of the biggest causes for these offensive woes and they’ve forced reserve players like Kevin Pillar, Billy McKinney, Jose Peraza and others into everyday roles out of necessity. But with this lineup almost back to full strength, they’ll need improved performances from Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith and Lindor after the all-star break concludes.

Aiming to solidify the offense, it’d also make plenty of sense for New York’s front office to acquire another reliable batter before the trade deadline expires on Jul. 30, ideally, a right-handed batter who’s capable of playing at third base.

While Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar have done a respectable job up to this point, it seems this organization could still benefit from making an upgrade at the hot corner, especially since J.D. Davis‘ eventual return might not be enough to make a significant improvement. The good is management probably won’t have to search very far to locate the perfect target as Kris Bryant appears to be back on the market.

After performing like a serious playoff contender through the first two months of the season, the Chicago Cubs recently endured an 11-game losing streak, which has seemingly increased their motivation to become sellers at the trade deadline. As a result, they’re expected to be significantly more willing to move key pieces like Bryant, who was reportedly pursued by the Mets last winter.

At the time, the 29-year-old’s acquisition cost ultimately proved to be far too expensive, forcing this team to turn its focus elsewhere, although his current price shouldn’t be nearly as high as it was before the season began. With the 6′ 5″ infielder slated to hit free agency this offseason, acquiring him for at least the next two months is a move the front office should definitely consider.

Even though Bryant hit a major roadblock last season, resulting in the worst statistical performance of his career, he’s bounced back at the perfect time in 2021 and has been performing as one of the top offensive third basemen across the major leagues throughout the first half of the schedule.

Completing surpassing his woes from the 2020 campaign, the right-hander has generated 16 home runs, 43 RBIs, a .230 ISO, a .314 BABIP, a .363 wOBA, a .350 xwOBA, a 9.9% walk rate, a 24.1% strikeout rate, a 130 wRC+ score, a 2.1 fWAR rating and a slashing line of .268/.349/.498/.847 through 324 plate appearances.

Thanks to these impressive results, Bryant has re-entered the conversation as one of the most productive third basemen in all of baseball, as he’s produced the third-highest wRC+, the fourth-highest SLG and wOBA, is tied for the fourth-highest ISO, tied for the fifth-most home runs, has recorded the sixth-highest fWAR rating, the eighth-highest BABIP and the ninth-most RBIs among all qualified third basemen, according to FanGraphs.com.

Unlike in previous years, the Mets are planning to be extremely protective of their highly-rated prospects this time around, meaning minor leaguers like Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Francisco Alvarez, Matt Allan, Pete Crow-Armstrong and J.T. Ginn are likely to be deemed untouchable for any trade proposals.

Considering former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen rarely took that same approach, this club’s prospect system has been greatly depleted over the last few seasons and has forced the current regime to act much more cautiously before surrendering any of its talented young players. Along with a lack of depth in the minors, it also wouldn’t be wise to send a prized position in exchange for Bryant, especially since his defense can be a liability at times.

The former first-round selection can be positioned in the outfield and on the corners of the infield, which is extremely valuable, but he’s largely served as a below-average defender at third base over the last four seasons. Even though his offense has been able to make up for his defensive flaws, it’s a little concerning that he’s created the 10th-worst OAA rating (-2) among all qualified third basemen since 2018, according to BaseballSavant.com.

Granted, the Mets would be acquiring Bryant for his offense and not his defense, however, this is still an aspect management would need to keep in mind when submitting any kind of offer to the Cubs.

As for which prospects the front office might be willing to part ways with, they could potentially send a package that includes infielder Mark Vientos, pitcher Jose Butto along with a low-level pitcher. This way, Chicago still receives a potential future third baseman and a pair of arms, while New York lands another impact slugger and isn’t forced to surrender any of its top-six prospects.

On the surface, this potential deal, or one very similar to it, appears to be a move that could benefit both sides in the end. Trading for a superstar player who could prove to be a rental would certainly be risky, although there’s no question Bryant would help this offense become dramatically more efficient down the stretch.

If there’s some common ground to be found between the Mets and Cubs, which there seems to be, adding the four-time All-Star to a lineup that’s already headlined by Lindor, Conforto, Smith, McNeil, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo could provide this club with an offense that rivals against some of the best in the majors.