SNY’s Andy Martino will be responding to and breaking down answers to questions from readers. Here’s the latest…
@zevi_weis: If the Mets are gonna make a trade before the deadline, what position would they address?
We took this question because it was indicative of many about the Mets today. Understandably, people want to know what the team is going to add at the trade deadline.
Talking to folks around the game over the past few days as they begin to prepare their own teams’ trade strategies, a perception emerged of the Mets as particularly difficult to predict.
It’s typically around Memorial Day that clubs begin to assess where they are and what they need. But with key players like Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil out for another month or so, and many others injured, there’s no way to form an internal judgment now.
Will the Mets be a team by July, and not a collection of inspired replacement players? When will they know what they actually need? Zack Scott and Sandy Alderson aren’t close to being able to form a full picture of this.
The Mets also have a relative dearth of young, controllable players and prospects to trade, especially after already moving Andres Gimenez. They don’t seem to want to part with catcher Francisco Alvarez. Pitcher Matt Allan is down with Tommy John surgery, and therefore unable to be scouted. Infielder Brett Baty is a ways away. There are a few others, but Alderson is trying to rebuild the farm system, not further deplete it.
Kris Bryant is the biggest obvious fish, and now he plays all over the diamond. But the Cubs are playing well.
And anyway, who are the Mets? If they’re all in, which positions do they need to fill? More players need to get healthy before they can say.