Mets Need To Be More Aggressive At Trade Deadline

Every single action has a consequence and the New York Mets’ lack of action at the 2022 trade deadline ultimately cost them.

They can’t afford to repeat that mistake in 2023.

And, yes, spring training isn’t even here yet so talking about the trade deadline may seem a bit premature. But you can never be too prepared.

You shouldn’t but, in case you do need reminding, the Mets had two very real glaring needs they could have addressed at the trade deadline last year. Despite going on to win 101 games in the regular season, the lineup lacked a power bat and the bullpen was in need of a high-leverage lefty arm.

Faced with those facts and armed with a boatload of prospects, general manager Billy Eppler had a real opportunity to reload at the deadline and bolster his roster for both the stretch run and indeed the postseason. Instead, he and the Mets largely stood pat apart from a couple of minor additions.

As a result, the Mets faltered down the stretch and surrounded the NL East division to the Atlanta Braves. Even worse, the lack of a game-changing bat in the lineup and an average bullpen came back to haunt New York in the NL Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres. While other teams loaded up and went for it, the Mets perhaps believed in their own hype a little too much and ended up paying the ultimate price.

Entering 2023 as a legit contender thanks to the billions of owner Steve Cohen, it is fair to state that the front office can’t afford to not be aggressive. Especially at the trade deadline. After all, this team still has flaws and there’s still one or two holes on the roster that need filling.

While the team did sign a depth outfielder after giving a one-year, $6 million contract to veteran Tommy Pham, the lineup still lacks a game-changing bat that can make the difference in clutch spots. The Mets did think they had that after coming to an agreement with superstar shortstop Carlos Correa but, after that deal ultimately fell through, the search for a big bat goes on.

There’s also still a need for the bullpen to be further bolstered. While the Mets have interest in former Yankees reliever Zach Britton and have engaged in talks with Andrew Chafin, Andy Martino of SNY reports that the front office would prefer a bullpen option with options remaining. As our very own Rivka Boord opined here, that would be a mistake.

We saw in 2022 what the absence of an elite arm, particularly a lefty one, behind Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino meant, and that can’t be the case again in 2023. After all, you can’t expect to be competitive in October without a quality bullpen. And, as is the case in modern baseball, you also can’t expect to win without power or the long ball.

Of course, there’s still time for the front office to fill some of those holes before spring training. But they must also be ready to be aggressive at the trade deadline should this roster need some reinforcements ready for the postseason. And there will be areas in which this team will need to improve.

For one; the still worrying lack of power is one flaw that likely won’t be addressed before the trade deadline. Things change quickly in baseball and there will be a handful of big bats available at the deadline for contending teams. Rather than make subtle additions, the Mets will need to be prepared to pull the trigger on a move-the-needle type move that could put them over the top in the search for a championship. If they don’t, you can be sure that their fellow contenders will, as was the case in 2022.

Just look at the Braves in 2021 as the perfect blueprint. Struggling to make much of a mark in the regular season, they went out and acquired Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario and Adam Duvall at the trade deadline. All three played a key role in the Braves winning the World Series, while Soler was crowned the World Series MVP.

Being bold at the trade deadline and adding a spark to the clubhouse has been proven time and time again to work.

You can make the argument that the Mets’ front office and ownership will stick to their philosophy of hanging on to their top prospects. There’s also the sense that the franchise is waiting until next offseason to make a major splash when superstar unicorn Shohei Ohtani will be a free agent. Reports have also stated that the Mets could be in on Padres third baseman Manny Machado too.

However, Cohen has deep pockets and his pursuit of a star for the 2024 season shouldn’t prevent the Mets from being aggressive buyers at the 2023 trade deadline. You can’t be a legit contender and not take risks and push all your chips into the middle of the table when the situation calls for it. Standing pat in 2022 proved to be fatal for the Mets. They must now learn from their past mistakes and adopt a more aggressive approach at the 2023 trade deadline.