Reports: Mets Interested In Josh Bell, Trey Mancini

The trade deadline is only nine days away. With August 2nd rapidly approaching, the rumor mill is in full force. Earlier today, two different reports surrounding the Mets and possible additions came to the forefront. Specifically regarding Josh Bell, Trey Mancini, and J.D. Martinez.

Per Pat Ragazzo and Michael Marino of FanNation, the Mets are one of several teams that have made a trade offer for Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals. The report then explains that, “The deal would see the Mets send an upper level minor league starting pitcher and outfielder to Washington in exchange for Bell and a big-league relief pitcher.”

Bell owns a slash line of .305/.386/496, which is good for a .882 OPS. He has 13 home runs and 51 RBI on the season. The switch-hitting first baseman is arguably having the second-best season of his seven year career. The addition of Bell would give the Mets the big, middle-of-the-order everyday bat the team is still pursuing.

As for the rumored big-league pitcher, it is hard to predict who exactly that can be. Steve Cishek is a 36-year-old veteran owns a 3.95 ERA and 4.09 FIP this season. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards Jr. is another veteran reliever who has a 3.03 ERA across 35 2/3 innings pitched this season. Again, that is just pure speculation on who it may be.

The other rumors from this afternoon was per Andy Martino of SNY and it explained that the New York Mets continue to scout Trey Mancini. Specifically, during the Yankees and Orioles series that concluded today.

Mancini is set to be one of the top rental power bats on the market. Despite the recent surge from the Orioles, Mancini appears that he can be had given his pending free agent status. He owns a slash line of .268/.345/.404 this season, which is good for a slightly above-average .749 OPS. He has nine home runs and 37 RBI on the season. Like Bell, Mancini would give the Mets an everyday middle-of-the-order bat they are looking for.

The last tidbit that was made available today was once again per Pat Ragazzo and Michael Marino of Fan Nation. They reported that the Mets are among teams monitoring J.D. Martinez’s availability.

After losing their first three games out of the All-Star break, which extended their losing streak to five, the Red Sox are back under .500. With this, people are wondering if Boston will soon be sellers. If they are, pending free agent J.D. Martinez may be on the block.

The All-Star is slashing .302/.368/.481 this season. He has nine home runs and 38 RBI. The designated hitter has been a top hitter in the league for years. Adding him would be a huge boost to the Mets’ lineup. Though, despite being a pending free agent, the right-handed hitter may be one of the more pricey options.