Just Mets

As the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches and a daunting schedule for the Mets ahead of that date, the need for the Mets to acquire offense has become somewhat dire, as they rank second to last in the game with 3.4 runs per game.

As the Mets continue to explore ways to improve upon that mark, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports/MLB Network is reporting the Mets have had recent discussions with the Padres, presumably about ways to acquire such offense.

Rosenthal isn’t certain who the Mets might be interested in from San Diego, but a rival executive opined they could be interested in acquiring Justin Upton, or potentially Joaquin Benoit, or Craig Kimbrel.

The executive wondered if the Mets might consider acquiring a starting pitcher – such as Tyson Ross – and using one of their other starting pitchers to acquire offense instead.

It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world for the Mets to seek upgrades in the bullpen, mostly due to the fact the Mets would lose Jenrry Mejia in the postseason thanks to his PED suspension this season.

But first, the Mets must get to the playoffs for that to be an issue, something which isn’t quite as certain. Acquiring a bat – such as Upton – would go a long way towards improving those odds. But they also need to find a solution on the left-side of their bullpen while they wait for and hope Jerry Blevins can make another contribution this season.

In regards to Upton, the risk in acquiring him now is substantial, although it has nothing to do with the production he would provide the Mets.

He can be a free agent following the World Series. If the Mets acquired Upton now, that would disallow the Mets from making Upton a qualifying offer, as a player traded in-season is not eligible to receive such an offer.

So if the Mets send pieces to San Diego to get Upton – and presumably, those pieces would need to be significant – the Mets run the risk of Upton testing free agency, signing somewhere else, and having neither the player, the prospects or the draft compensation to show for the transaction.

And, if the Mets do not make the playoffs and all of the above come to fruition, then the Mets would have sacrificed a lot of talent for nothing more than a fruitless pennant race.

The Mets could theoretically look to sign Upton long-term if they were to acquire him now. He’s in his age-27 season, he’s a difference-making, right-handed bat with power, all of which are rare commodities to find on the open market in the game today.

Given that, however, Upton has very little reason to limit his market to one team right now versus testing free agency this winter and letting the bidding run it’s course against other teams.

But he’s one of the most intriguing options available to the Mets, and one of the few pending free agents who can provide a true, longer-term solution to their problems. It’s not hard to like a future outfield containing Upton, Michael Conforto, and maybe Juan Lagares or Brandon Nimmo on a full-time basis. And in the short-term, the Mets could (and should) turn a corner outfield spot into a platoon between Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer which would afford a player like Upton a full-time opportunity in the other outfield spot.

That would require a significant, long-term investment from the club, something they have yet to show they’re willing to do outside of David Wright, which took place nearly three years ago.

It would also require the Mets to relent and turn both Cuddyer and Granderson into part-time players. By doing this, the Mets would be paying one corner outfield spot $24.5 million in 2015, and $28.5 million in 2016. While that would make them better in theory, it’s an inflated number to pay one position filled with diminishing mid-30 year olds. Of course, Sandy Alderson told Kristie Ackert of the Daily News last week Cuddyer has been overused this season, suggesting the Mets might consider cutting his playing time down if needed.

Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports/MLB Network reported the Padres had sent scouts to scan the Mets minor league system, which raised some speculation the Mets were interested in acquiring Upton.

However, while a club source told Marc Carig of Newsday the Mets would consider seeking an upgrade in the outfield, another source told Adam Rubin of ESPN New York it was unlikely the Mets would consider trading for an outfielder this summer.