Sandy Alderson said on Tuesday at Citi Field his front office is continuing to speak with other clubs about trades to bring offense to the roster.
The Mets are still aiming high in their search, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says they, “have their sights clearly on a big bat.”
The list of players the Mets continue to target includes Justin Upton, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Gomez, Gerardo Parra and Jay Bruce.
While Heyman recently reported the Mets and Padres were at an impasse regarding a deal for Upton, the two sides didn’t rule out the possibility of rekindling discussions at some point ahead of the deadline. Heyman says the Orioles and perhaps the Astros are also pursuing Upton, who has struggled over the last two months. One of the names the Mets have apparently floated to the Padres is Brandon Nimmo, which presumably is not enough to get a deal done.
Of course, the risk with Upton is he’s sure to test free agency, and the Mets cannot make him a qualifying offer if he’s traded.
Heyman says the price for both Gonzalez and Gomez is high, and both could be retained by their clubs ahead of the trade deadline at 4 PM on Friday.
Gonzalez is certainly doing nothing to hurt his trade value in 2015, especially lately as he’s torn the cover off the ball in the last two weeks. He’s stayed healthy all year long and has posted a .275/.331/.514 line with 20 home runs and 51 RBI in 364 plate appearances this season.
His home/road splits are not terrible, although there’s a huge drop off in production away from Denver. He has hit .250/.302/.452 with eight home runs and 19 RBI in 44 game son the road, which is pretty on-par with his career marks (.258/.313/.440).
The issue with his production is against left-handed pitching this season. He’s hit just .156.214/.169 with only one extra-base hit in 85 plate appearances against southpaws, making him a huge liability against left-handers.
There’s also the injury risk Gonzalez has been throughout his career, although the thin air in Colorado could theoretically play a role with them.
But Gonzalez still only 29, has an established track record, and is a left-handed hitter, the kind of hitter Joel Sherman of the New York Post has said the Mets prefer in their search for an outfielder.
As for Gomez, multiple reports have suggested Gomez may not even be available, or the Brewers would have to be blown away in an offer to move their center fielder.
Gomez has taken a step back offensively this season and his stolen bases are down, but he’s still posted a .761 OPS and 108 OPS+ in 73 games in 2015. He’s become and electric player since the Mets originally traded him to the Twins in 2008, featuring a combination of both speed and power from the right side proving hard to come by in the game today. His game of speed and defense would be a good fit for the Mets with their pitching staff and ballpark, although his defense has been just about league average in 2015.
But like Upton, the cost in trade could be more substantial than the Mets are willing to move, especially with the extra year of control for Gomez which adds value in trade.
In regards to Bruce, he has been productive for the Reds despite a high strikeout rate, posting a 120 OPS+ while hitting .253 with 15 home runs and 49 RBI this season. He’s actually hit left-handed pitching better than right-handed pitching although the bulk of his home runs have come against right-handed pitching.
However, Bruce has not been close to as good on the road as he has been at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark, which is a concern since that’s a hitters haven, and Citi Field isn’t quite the same. And, he historically has struggled at Citi Field as well, albeit in a small sample.
All things being equal, acquiring Bruce would’ve allowed the Mets to put Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer in a platoon, which would help protect Granderson’s ineffectiveness against left-handed pitching. But of course, Cuddyer is out indefinitely with a bone bruise. So things are not equal at the moment.
Still, Bruce is a good right fielder with an outstanding arm. He would also serve as a big defensive upgrade in the outfield, which goes along with their need to prevent more runs thanks to a mostly poor all-around defense – the outfield included – currently being fielded on a daily basis.
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com recently said the Mets were scouting Bruce “heavily,” suggesting they have extensive interest in acquiring him this summer. They’ve discussed the possibility of sending rehabbing RHP Zack Wheeler to the Reds for Bruce, according to Andy Martino of the Daily News, although Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said those talks did not go anywhere.
The Mets were apparently also considering sending Wheeler to the Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki before he was traded to the Blue Jays, which is another indication the Mets are more than willing to move Wheeler for a controllable piece and for the right piece this summer.
As for Parra, he is an outstanding fit for the Mets right now. While the advanced metrics suggest Parra has struggled defensively, he is a two-time Gold Glove Award winning outfielder who would unquestionably upgrade their outfield defense along with providing an immediate boost to their offense. His splits have been solid this year, so the club would not have to consider a platoon with Parra. And, he’s a red hot hitter right now as well, which could be increasing the demand for his services among the contenders.
Parra can be a free agent at the end of the season, so as is the case with Upton, the Mets will be unable to make Parra a qualifying offer if they acquire him. Of course, he should be considered a longer-term option for the Mets given his age and skill set, so trading for and pursuing a new contract with Parra should be in consideration going forward.
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