3 Moves the New York Mets Should Try to Make

Spring training is more than halfway through, and the New York Mets recently received terrible news that Zack Wheeler will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2015 season.

This, of course, could have a big effect on the Mets' season. But the fact that the regular season is only a few weeks away doesn't mean the Mets can't make moves right now.

Here are three moves the Mets should consider making.

Trade for More Pitching Depth

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Despite the Wheeler injury, the Mets don't need much more pitching depth.

Dillon Gee will almost certainly fill in for Wheeler in the rotation alongside Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon.

"That's why we have him [Gee]," Mets manager Terry Collins said, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. "He'll be the guy."

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports said the following about Wheeler and Gee:

"

wheeler should be fine for next year. meanwhile, good thing the mets never traded dillon gee.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) March 16, 2015"

Even though Wheeler is hurt, the Mets probably don't need to add much more pitching depth from outside the organization. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz are both waiting in the wings, while potential starter Rafael Montero could be a candidate to make the Opening Day bullpen.

However, if the right trade for a pitching upgrade appears, the Mets should at least listen in.

Sign or Trade for Another Left-Handed Reliever

John Minchillo/Associated Press

With primary left-handed reliever Josh Edgin out for the season with an injured elbow that will require Tommy John surgery, the Mets have a dire need for a veteran southpaw in the bullpen. 

Edgin had a breakout season last year with a 1.32 ERA, which ranked him second among National League left-handed relievers who threw at least 20.0 innings.

Replacing numbers like that so late in spring training will not be easy, especially in a division that features left-handed power threats such as Bryce Harper, Freddie Freeman, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Domonic Brown. 

The Mets currently have Sean Gilmartin, Jack Leathersich, Scott Rice and Dario Alvarez as in-house bullpen candidates from the left side. However, none of them has significant major league experience, which can be critical in late-inning situations.

The Mets would be better off trading for a left-handed relief upgrade or signing a free agent. One notable left-handed relief free agent is Sean Burnett, who is also recovering from Tommy John surgery.

"

#Angels LHP Sean Burnett had TJ surgery this week.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) June 6, 2014"

It will be interesting to see how the Mets address what is now a pressing issue. Hopefully, they will be able to make an upgrade and improve the bullpen.

Sign or Trade for Another Left-Handed Bench Bat

John Bazemore/Associated Press

One of Kirk Nieuwenhuis or Matt den Dekker should make the Mets' Opening Day bench as a backup outfielder. However, if a better left-handed bench bat happens to be available, the Mets could use an upgrade and should look at a potential trade.

Nieuwenhuis is a career .255 hitter against right-handed pitching in 460 at-bats and has a .313 average as a pinch hitter in 54 at-bats. However, he does not have much power.

Den Dekker is a career .246 hitter against right-handed pitching in 191 at-bats and has hit .300 as a pinch hitter in just 10 at-bats. Den Dekker's sample size is smaller, but he offers even less power than Nieuwenhuis and is much more of defensive outfielder than a pure hitter.

Left-handed bench bats to consider could include David Murphy of the Cleveland Indians, Skip Schumaker of the Cincinnati Reds and Garrett Jones of the New York Yankees.

Whether any of those players gets put on the trade block remains to be seen, but if the trade market does not work, free agency could. Veteran outfielders Jason Kubel and Raul Ibanez are still free agents and could give the Mets a veteran presence off the bench.

Kubel is a career .273 hitter against right-handed pitching, but he has hit only .198 as a pinch hitter in 106 at-bats. Ibanez is a career .278 hitter against right-handed pitching and has a .199 average as a pinch hitter in 161 at-bats. They may not have great numbers as pinch hitters, but they do have years of experience, which can help in late-inning situations.

Depending on how much money they would be looking for, the Mets should at least check in on Kubel and Ibanez to see if they could work out some sort of agreement for the season.

This is not to say they would necessarily end up hitting better than Nieuwenhuis or Den Dekker, but having an experienced veteran on the bench for an important pinch-hit late in a game could be critical and could be the difference between a win and a loss.

It's about time the Mets do what's necessary to earn a few more wins this season.

All statistics shown are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.