In an article by Jim Bowden of ESPN.com, he lists five trades he would like to see happen before the Winter Meetings next month in Nashville. One deal he mentions is the Mets trading Zack Wheeler and Brandon Nimmo for Rockies’ All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.
With the Mets looking to replace Yoenis Cespedes and Daniel Murphy‘s production in the lineup, Bowden believes Gonzalez would be a perfect fit. He blasted 40 homeruns and 97 RBI this year for Colorado, and he has a career .290 average and .870 OPS.
CarGo’s home and road splits show that he has benefited a great deal from playing half his games at Coors Field where he posted a .617 slugging percentage and .972 OPS. However, despite the huge disparity, his .464 SLG and .768 OPS on the road would still be a plus in the Mets lineup and he did hit 16 home runs or 40 percent of his total output on the road.
Additionally, he punishes right-handed pitching with the best of them, batting .301 with a .364 OBP, .633 SLG and a .997 OPS.
Defensively, the three time Gold Glover can give you above average defense in left or right field. Last season, CarGo had five Defensive Runs Saved and 8 Outfield Assists.
Bowden says that Gonzalez would also fit into the Mets’ budget because he is only owed $37 million over the next two years, which makes him a better option than Justin Upton or Jason Heyward on the free agent market.
The deal also makes a lot of sense for the Rockies since they are in full rebuilding mode and desperately need top-flight starting pitching. Wheeler would give them a high upside arm to build around while Nimmo provides them a solid prospect in the outfield.
Wheeler is a player I’d hate to see the Mets trade, but this is something the Mets should at least consider as a potential option. Gonzalez is a solid power hitter and he would help make the team’s lineup a very dangerous one with his presence in the cleanup spot.
There’s also the issue of whether or not Granderson can handle center field defensively over the course of an entire season. Sure he’ll likely platoon with Lagares, but Grandy will still have a grueling assignment and he’s lost a step in range and has a poor arm.
Would you do it? Would you trade Wheeler and Nimmo for CarGo?
