Dodgers and Mets are Perfect Trade Deadline Partners
As we get closer and closer to the trade deadline, the buyers and sellers on the open market appear to be becoming clearer. Over the last few days, though, one team has supposedly shown interest in trading away assets: the New York Mets.
Here come them trade talks. pic.twitter.com/YShMUtKl5U
— Noah Syndergaard (@Noahsyndergaard) July 26, 2019
The Mets are underperforming…again. They are 8 games below .500 and 12.5 games back in the NL East. It would absolutely behoove the Mets to emerge as major players in the trade market as sellers as this year, with it being well-documented that this year is a seller’s market.
The Mets have a plethora of assets that they can deal and many of them fit the Dodgers’ current needs. Let’s take a look:
Noah Syndergaard
Before you say “the Dodgers don’t need starting pitching,” hear me out. ‘Thor’ has been one of the best pitchers in the game since he came up to the big leagues in 2015.
He holds a 3.24 ERA lifetime with some of the best pure stuff in the league. Under contract through 2021, the price would be hefty to acquire a guy like Syndergaard, with potential headliners including catcher Keibert Ruiz or starting pitcher Dustin May with solid additional pieces to back that up. He won’t be cheap, but he would probably be worth the price.
Zack Wheeler
Wheeler has been dealing with some nerve issues, so he is a bit of a risk, but he is supremely talented. He would be an excellent addition as a fourth starter for the playoffs on an expiring deal. He holds a 4.69 ERA this season, but the peripherals are a lot better. He is simply put, a 3.25-3.50 ERA talented pitcher that could be had for next to nothing.
Edwin Diaz
The Dodgers need bullpen help and they could get it in Diaz. He is going to be worth a pretty penny in terms of prospect capital, but a guy like Ruiz or May would most likely get it done as a headliner with other strong supporting pieces and maybe a major league talent like Joc Pederson or Ross Stripling heading the other way. Diaz had one of the best relief pitcher seasons in MLB history last season, posting a 1.96 ERA with 124 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings. This season, he has posted an unsightly 4.81 ERA, but that is very uncharacteristic. He holds a lifetime ERA of 3.01 and highest ERA before this season was 3.27.
Seth Lugo
As our own Blake Williams recently wrote about Seth Lugo, he would be an elite under-the-radar bullpen acquisition. Arguably one of the most underrated relievers in the league, Lugo is well-known for the insane spin rate on his curveball, that spin rate being the best in baseball. Lugo is just 29 years old and should be available at a fair price, possibly a top-15 prospect headlining a package. He holds a 2.61 ERA this season with 64 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings.
Wilson Ramos
Ramos is supposedly on the block and while he is not an ideal fit for the Dodgers, he could be for one year. Ramos and Will Smith could be a solid tandem for the next year or two with Ramos not being a free agent until after the 2020 season. He would most likely come as an add-on piece from the Mets considering the duration and value of his contract.
