What Teams Are Best Trade Partners For Mets?

Trade winds are blowing across the league following the conclusion of the general managers meetings this week, kicking the hot stove into full gear. With the perceived leaguewide notion that this free agent class isn’t brimming with substance, especially regarding position players, the expectation is that the trade market will see an uptick in action this offseason as teams scramble to fill out their rosters.

The New York Mets will almost certainly throw their hat in the ring as the new regime looks to turn the club’s fortunes around, with the primary focus centering around acquiring pitching help in both the rotation and the bullpen. A few potential partners have already emerged as a match for the Mets on that front, including one with which they have become quite familiar throughout the last few months.

Milwaukee Brewers

The Mets and Brewers have had quite the saga unfold between the two teams recently, starting with a report by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that suggested the sides were close on a deal that would’ve sent Pete Alonso to Milwaukee at the deadline. New York later played down the nature of those talks, though it was too late to stop the rumor mill from churning. Then, the Mets closed a deal and finally made good on the years-long rumor of bringing Manhattan native and longtime Brewers executive David Stearns into the fold as their president of baseball operations. Ultimately, both teams were in direct competition with one another for Craig Counsell’s managerial services this offseason before the Chicago Cubs snuck in and stole him from under the nose of their division rivals after Counsell had managed Milwaukee for parts of nine seasons.

Stearns’ preexisting knowledge of, and relationship with, the Brewers organization should, in theory, provide an advantage should the Mets inquire about Milwaukee’s impressive array of arms. The Brewers aren’t your prototypical sellers in that they have made the playoffs five of the last six seasons and are coming off of a 92-win season that netted them an NL Central title. However, being a small market team, compounded with the loss of Stearns and Counsell, as well as Brandon Woodruff for most of next season due to injury, has forced the issue.

According to Rosenthal, Milwaukee is open to dealing “virtually any player” on its roster as they look towards the future with an aging core that hasn’t necessarily clicked while possessing an impressive farm system that looks set to bear its fruit in the near future.

The big fish in this entire equation is Corbin Burnes, who is entering his last year of arbitration and thus is on pace to enter free agency after the 2024 season. The 29-year-old had a down year for his standards last season with a 3.39 ERA and 3.4 fWAR in 193 3/2 innings, but he’s just two years removed from winning the 2021 NL Cy Young Award and remains one of the game’s elite frontline aces. The Mets might be hard-pressed to pay up and reach deep into the farm system to acquire a player of Burnes’ stature, but they need a bonafide No. 1 starter and players like him don’t come available often.

Devin Williams is another name that would make sense for the Mets in a vacuum, although he would also come with a hefty price tag via trade due to being under team control for another two seasons. The 29-year-old has set himself apart as one of the league’s best relievers since being called up in 2019 and thrived in his first season as the Brewers’ full-time closer in 2023 with a 1.53 ERA and 36 saves in 61 appearances.

Freddy Peralta is coming off of a superb campaign where he put up a 3.86 ERA with 11.41 K/9 and a 3.0 fWAR. Still, he’s also under team control for relatively cheap through the 2026 season due to club options implemented in his pre-arbitration contract extension that will likely inflate his trade value. Hoby Milner, a lefty reliever who posted a 1.82 ERA in 2023, and Joel Payamps are among other names the Mets could consider moving forward.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have undergone quite a narrative change throughout the last few seasons. After laboring through the 2010s without a postseason appearance, the White Sox’s new wave of talent broke through and formed the makings of a sustainable contender after carrying the club to the playoffs in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021. It crumbled as quickly as it came together, though, and apparent chemistry, leadership issues, and underperformance across the board have the team back at square one.

Chris Getz, the team’s new general manager and former director of player development, went on record and stated that “there are no untouchables” on Chicago’s roster while appearing to signal that he envisions a major overhaul of the roster after a 100-loss season.

Dylan Cease, the 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up, jumps to mind as a logical trade target for the Mets and any other team seeking a frontline starter. He recorded a 2.20 ERA and 4.4 fWAR in his breakout campaign two seasons ago but took a step back in 2023 with a 4.58 ERA despite solid peripherals. Cease is a power pitcher with strikeout stuff who has evolved into a workhorse, starting at least 32 games in each of the last three seasons. He has two seasons of team control left, so the compensation wouldn’t be light, but it would behoove the Mets to consider making a move here.

Moving away from pitching, Eloy Jiménez profiles as a buy-low candidate that would fit the Mets’ current roster needs. He has dealt with a host of injuries that have hindered his ability to play a full season, but Jiménez has proven to be a staple in the middle of the order when healthy. He had a down campaign in 2023, but the 26-year-old is just a year removed from hitting .295/.358/.500 with 16 home runs and a 143 wRC+. Jiménez would be shoehorned into the designated hitter role and his availability concerns further restrict his overall value. Still, his upside is enticing, and the Mets could execute on a low-risk move considering they have the financial resources to take on the $13 million he’s owed next season while also holding potential club options for 2025 and 2026.

Seattle Mariners

Perhaps an unorthodox trade partner on paper, the Seattle Mariners’ abundance of controllable starting pitching makes them an intriguing team to watch as the offseason continues.

Jerry Dipoto, Seattle’s president of baseball operations, voiced his desire for more contact-oriented hitters after the Mariners finished among the most strikeout-heavy teams in baseball in 2023. Additionally, the team has long coveted offensive help while showing the willingness to ship out pitching to accomplish that task. Seattle followed that line of thinking by trading Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Josh Rojas, Dominic Canzone and Ryan Bliss at last season’s deadline, in addition to sending Erik Swanson and Adam Macko to the Toronto Blue Jays for Teoscar Hernández last offseason.

Jeff McNeil fits the bill for the style of player the Mariners are seeking. Still, his recent contract extension may muddy the waters and complicate any transaction involving him. If that factor doesn’t deter Seattle, however, a path to a deal isn’t as convoluted as one would think, considering Stearns has no ties to McNeil and the Mets have several infield options waiting in the wings behind him. Players such as Luis Guillorme, or one of New York’s top prospects, might also fit the bill and could be of interest to Seattle in trade talks.

Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo and Emerson Hancock are among the most likely players to be traded by the Mariners if they seriously pursue a deal for an impact position player. Both Miller and Woo were key parts of Seattle’s rotation last season as Miller pitched to a 4.32 ERA in 25 starts while Woo recorded a 4.21 ERA in 18 starts. Both players have considerable upside and may become expendable due to a potential logjam in the near future. Hancock, who is viewed as the team’s top pitching prospect, was a first-round pick in 2020 and made his MLB debut this August before being shut down with a shoulder strain.