Following a long and unpredictable offseason, spring is finally in the air, or at least it is down south. That doesn’t mean the New York Mets are finished constructing their current roster for this upcoming season, though.
While spring training is officially underway, the Mets still have some holes and they could benefit from making a few more adjustments before the regular season opens on April 1st. The left side of the infield in particular remains somewhat of a question mark, as infielders J.D. Davis and Luis Guillorme are expected to compete for the starting third base job.
Despite becoming the every-day third baseman midway through last season, things didn’t work out well for Davis at the hot corner in 2020, as he finished tied for the lowest Outs Above Average (-3) among all qualified third basemen. Based on his disappointing defensive showing, it appears the 27-year-old would be better suited at first base or as a designated hitter if it returns to the National League.
But since teammates Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith are also on the roster, third base appears to be the only option for the former Houston Astro. Due to this apparent log jam, it’s entirely possible the front office could trade the 6’3″ infielder, but determining his current value has been a little challenging, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Considering Davis will likely need to change positions and struggled at the plate last season, resulting in a .142 ISO, .318 BABIP, .339 wOBA and a 116 wRC+, he probably wouldn’t net a significant return on his own. But if the Mets were to include him with a veteran reliever like Dellin Betances or Jeurys Familia, they could use this opportunity to shed some salary and also improve their prospect system at the same time.
So which organization might be interested in acquiring a package including Davis and Betances/Familia?
The Milwaukee Brewers seem to be a fit since they just missed out on third baseman Justin Turner and could benefit from adding a right-handed hitter who could instantly become a starter in 2021. As for their bullpen, pitchers Josh Hader and Devin Williams are considered two of the top relievers in the game, but adding someone like Betances or Familia would provide the team with another arm during high-leverage situations.
While acquiring these players would help the Brewers compete for a playoff spot, it’s extremely unlikely they’d be willing to surrender a top-five prospect and other pieces to complete this trade. That being said, this would still make sense for the Mets as they could potentially acquire at least one, if not two, top-30 prospects in this potential deal.
For the sake of this article, let’s say New York sends Davis and Familia or Betances to Milwaukee in exchange for pitcher Antoine Kelly (No. 7 top prospect), outfielder Joe Gray (No. 17 top prospect) and two low-level minor leaguers.
Kelly, a 21-year-old, was selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft and has quickly become one of the top pitching prospects in the Brewers’ minor-league system. Utilizing his 6’6″ frame, the young hurler relies heavily on his mid-90s fastball, which is capable of touching 98 mph and also features late movement. Enjoying a strong start to his professorial career, the left-hander made nine starts and compiled 28 2/3 innings at Rookie Ball in 2019, producing a 1.26 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 2.59 xFIP, 0.91 WHIP, .204 AVG, 38.0% strikeout rate, 4.6% walk rate, 18.0% line-drive rate, 44.3% ground-ball rate and a 37.7% fly-ball rate.
Despite featuring a plus four-seamer, Kelly is far from a finished product and must continue developing his secondary weapons, especially his mid-80s slider. Considering the towering hurler has struggled to command his breaking ball and changeup, which he barely threw in 2019, he must dramatically improve both of those pitches to stick as a starter.
Gray, a soon-to-be 21-year-old, was selected in the second round of the 2018 MLB Draft, but he’s struggled to stay on the field and has been limited to just 55 games. As a result, the 6’1″ outfielder hasn’t unlocked his full potential at the plate just yet, leading to a pair of poor offensive showings during his first two professional campaigns. Over his 227 plate appearances in Rookie Ball from 2018-19, the right-hander generated just nine doubles, five home runs, 18 RBI, .139 ISO, .220 BABIP, .298 wOBA, 13.7% walk rate, 26.9% strikeout rate and a miserable slash line of .171/.308/.310/.619.
While Gray still has many things to learn as a hitter, his defensive skills are far more advanced than his offensive capabilities, as he owns a very strong arm — the youngster was clocked at 98 mph from the outfield in high school — and his outstanding quickness allows him to roam freely in center field. Though the young speedster’s accuracy has been inconsistent at times, he’s made up for that with his impressive arm strength and solid route running, meaning he’ll likely remain in the middle of the field moving forward.
If the Brewers were to accept this trade, this would leave the Mets extremely thin at third base as infielders Jonathan Villar and Guillorme would be the only remaining options at the hot corner with Jeff McNeil manning second base. On the other hand, taking this route would create a clear opening for the front office to make a serious run at one of the top third basemen in the majors who’s reportedly been made available this winter.
Even though management fell short on Turner, who recently re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a two-year, $34 million contract, it’s still possible they could acquire Kris Bryant from the Chicago Cubs before he becomes a free agent next offseason. While the three-time All-Star won’t come cheap, especially since general manager Jed Hoyer is hoping to keep him around, he’d be a perfect fit for this team on both sides of the ball.
Taking into account that the Mets would hypothetically be receiving four young players from the Brewers, surrendering a couple of notable prospects in exchange for Bryant wouldn’t significantly weaken their farm system. As for the club’s payroll, acquiring the 2016 NL MVP, who’s slated to make $19.5 million in 2021, wouldn’t push them over the $210 million luxury tax threshold, as trading away Davis and Familia or Betances would provide them approximately $10-$15 million in salary relief.
Considering the front office will have its hands full with attempting to lock up Francisco Lindor and Michael Conforto before spring training ends, trading away Davis and also acquiring Bryant before Opening Day may prove to be extremely challenging. But as the 2021 campaign progresses, it might become easier to complete each of these transactions, although only time will tell.
