Reese Kaplan -- Just 1 or 2 Changes Instead of a Clean Sweep?

With the team starting to play a bit better lately, the fans and media are all losing some of their certitude about what they need to do to improve for the future.  With the rest of the National League playing almost as poorly as are the Mets, it is indeed possible they could have October baseball within their tentative grasp.

So let’s take a break from the blow it up approach and instead think about the one or two things they could do without a rerun of the July 2023 sell off.  No matter how you slice it, the contracts the Mets have for various players will make some of them attractive to other teams.  Let’s take a brief look at the minimum they need to consider.

Pete Alonso is seemingly still suffering that same offensive level that he displayed last season.  As a hitter with undeniable home run power, he’s offering a more legitimately contending team some middle-of-the-order production that only requires a few months of salary.  Pay down that salary and the return could correspondingly increase.

One down side to this deal for the Mets is that Mark Vientos who everyone penciled in as  replacement on the right side of the infield has recently gone from red hot to ice cold.  D.J. Stewart theoretically could play 1B, but his bat is even worse. 

A second issue to absorb is that as much as many would envision Alonso as a Met-For-Life, it is most definitely going to be a blow to the man’s ego to be dealt away midway through the year.  Consequently it is less likely he would feel any loyalty or desire to return to the team that chose to maximize their return for him rather than standing by him.

The second player to consider moving is the suddenly lethal J.D. Martinez.  Like Alonso, his contract ends when the 2024 baseball season concludes.  He has a Hall of Fame type of career with a good batting average and  great power.  He earns significantly less than does Alonso and likely could be peddled without kicking in a salary reduction. 

Like losing the prime pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander under Billy Eppler, parting ways with a player of Martinez’ caliber should not require making too many phone calls.  In fact, once word filters out that he is on the market David Stearns’ telephone will be ringing nearly non-stop. 

The third player who will surely get other GMs drooling is current number one starting pitcher Luis Severino.  His record, ERA and heritage as a star performer would get any other team’s pulse pounding.  Throw in his very modest salary, his youth and the end of the obligation also happening at year’s end.  Yes, he would generate quite a buzz.

There are plenty of other ballplayers who could entice a decent return given their contract status or ability, but they would involve smaller returns or more payroll contributions to make other clubs take as much interest.  

Yes, David Stearns could find a taker for a Starling Marte, Jeff McNeil, Harrison Bader, Adam Ottavino or Sean Manaea.  Hell, with his last start performance you might even find a taker for pending free agent Jose Quintana.  The fact is that these players are not the ones who are almost automatic in the ease with which they could be moved.

While we have seen in the past the Mets were not particularly effective at in-season negotiations with their own existing players, but we do not yet know how David Stearns would perform in this regard. 

So how many players should the Mets move this year in preparation for the future?  Which one is at the top of your list?