Reese Kaplan -- Part One of Who Could Be Offered in Trades

So the question facing the Mets front office right now with four wins in a row is whether or not the slump is over and they have finally gotten back on the right path to October baseball?

Well, it’s likely too soon to tell for sure, but for a change other than the 3-2 victory the Mets have been unleashing lethal offense that has been mostly missing for the majority of the good times even before the bad times started.  All of the sudden the bats were out-slugging the opposition.  Some of it wasn’t surprising with the big boys Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo doing what they are paid to deliver on the field. 

However, this time around you were starting to get hits from Jeff McNeil, Starling Marte and occasionally members of the 7th, 8th and 9th slots in the batting order.  None of these surprising (and sometimes shocking) contributions were consistent, but every little bit helps and many of the rose-colored glass wearing fans feel vindicated that the team taking the field day after day is exactly what’s needed to win the division and to make it to the World Series.

Hmmn...

While there is nothing inherently wrong with blind optimism, most people in business realize that the proper way to prepare for the future is to reinforce what’s working and to find solutions for what is not.  While it’s easy to again delineate the need for the front office to line up these extra offensive resources, let’s this time take a proper look at who should be on the potential trading block.

In general, it’s a pretty simple list.  If your name is not Soto, Alonso, Lindor nor Nimmo then consider yourself being shopped in prospective deals.  The larger contract guys like Starling Marte and Jeff McNeil are obviously folks who other clubs know well, but face the fact that the Mets would likely have to pay down some of the remaining salaries to make them more appealing to prospective buyers.

Now is where it gets a little messier.  Tyrone Taylor, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger should all be on the table as well.  Many organizations who are not as well heeled as others would want to find folks with the potential to replicate in the majors what they have done in the minors in the past or in the majors sporadically. 

We’re not done yet.  Then there are folks in the minors who should also be part of the “For Sale” inventory.  This group would include Francisco Alvarez, Luisangel Acuna, Drew Gilbert, Ryan Clifford and some of the lower level folks whose A-ball success might paint them as long term gambles for other clubs to take.  The only names on the offensive side excluded would be Jett Williams and some very young folks like Elian Pena.

What is is that the Mets need?  Well, the center field position has been handled defensively but has received almost no hitting.  The DH role is woefully unproductive.  The infield needs improvement as well with none of the third base options hitting their way into the headlines.  Then there is the catching surplus which would allow one of them to be traded away.

One of the things folks understand in business is that you must pay for valuable resources.  No one is going to give you an upper tier player (let alone an All Star) for the scraps on your roster.  

The next go around take a look at the suddenly medically fragile and ineffective pitching staff.  The same approach is needed.  No one is advocating a 90% revamping of the roster resources but changes most definitely must be made.