Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Mets are 4-8 in their last 12 games, and are fading fast in the NL East. If they’re going to compete for a Wild Card spot this year, they must add a potent bat to their lineup.
They’re 24th in the MLB in both runs scored and team batting — it shouldn’t be very difficult to find a bat that can improve that. However, they’re going to have to give up someone more than the struggling Dillon Gee or Jon Niese in order to do so. After missing more than a month, Travis d’Arnaud has finally returned to the Mets’ lineup. His .311 batting average leads the team in active position players (both the inactive David Wright and pitcher Noah Syndergaard are hitting better), as does his .533 slugging percentage (and again, Syndergaard leads the team).
Although he’s played in only 12 games, he’s seventh on the team with 0.6 WAR — and three of the players ahead of him are pitchers. So while it’s nice that he’s back, the Mets are still to be without Wright for the foreseeable future, and it’s apparent no other Mets hitter has really picked up the slack.
With the exception of catcher and first base, the Mets really have the option of bringing a player at any position so they really don’t even need to be picky. The Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of bats that the Mets might be interested in, from the thriving Josh Donaldson, to slugger Jose Bautista, to even former Met Jose Reyes. Each of those three would be leading the Mets in a number of statistical categories — and as a third baseman, shortstop, and outfielder, they all play positions the Mets need. And the best part is that the Blue Jays desperately need pitching. None of the Blue Jays’ six starters with at least five games started has an ERA under 3.50, and the lowest WHIP among that group is 1.20. As a team their ERA is 4.22, their BAA is .252, and they have 412 Ks on the season.
Comparatively, the Mets totals are 3.50, .248, and 483, respectively. Then there’s their current top prospect Steven Matz, who’s dominating Triple-A with a 1.94 ERA and 1.10 WHIP. If the Mets wish to protect Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, that’s fine. But if they want to be competitive (and they keep saying they do), then they’re going to need a good bat. And to get a good bat, you need to give up a good pitcher. Syndergaard, Matz, and even Zack Wheeler should all be available to trade if the Mets can get a good bat.
A player in the field affects the team every game; a pitcher only gets that chance every five. Even the Mets’ bullpen contains a surprising number of solid trade pieces: Jeurys Familia, Jack Leathersich, Erik Goeddel, Sean Gilmartin, and Alex Torres all have ERAs under 2.50. Familia should be the only one of those who is untouchable. The rest should be free to go, perhaps in a package with a less effective pitcher (say, a Gee or Niese, or even Bartolo Colon) if it means the Mets can improve their lineup.
The San Francisco Giants won three World Series on the backs of their pitching but they also had Pablo Sandoval, Hunter Pence, and Buster Posey, among others, in their lineups. Right now, the Mets have d’Arnaud — and Lucas Duda has been alright, too. That’s just not going to get it done.
Matt Turner is a New York Mets Writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @MTurnerNY, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.
