Mets' Top Hypothetical Trade Targets for Early-Season Shakeup
The New York Mets have spent a ton of money the last two offseasons trying to build a World Series contender. Among their long list of free-agent signings are corner outfielders Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham.
So far, all three players have struggled to produce, with Canha (147 PA, 87 OPS+, .231 BA) and Marte (153 PA, 64 OPS+, .236 BA) in the starting lineup and Pham (81 PA, 75 OPS+, .188 BA) serving as a fourth outfielder.
There is still time for them to turn things around, but it's never too early to start exploring possible alternatives whom the Mets could target on the trade market.
Ahead we've highlighted three players worth keeping an eye on, selecting one blockbuster target, one low-cost target and one outside-the-box target.
Blockbuster Addition: Joc Pederson, San Francisco Giants
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Given their past differences, the Mets would likely need to either send Tommy Pham the other way in the deal or designate him for assignment if they were to make a run at acquiring Joc Pederson via trade.
With that said, he could be the perfect player to jump start a stagnant offensive attack.
The two-time All-Star has a 130 OPS+ with five home runs and 18 RBI in 97 plate appearances. He would provide a left-handed-hitting alternative to the team's three current right-handed-hitting corner outfielders.
Pederson is playing on a one-year, $19.7 million deal this year, so the Giants might welcome the opportunity to get out from under that salary commitment if they decide to wave the white flag on this season.
Low-Cost Addition: Jurickson Profar, Colorado Rockies
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The last notable free agent to find a new home this past offseason, Jurickson Profar signed a one-year, $7.75 million deal with the Colorado Rockies on March 21.
Once the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Profar took some time to develop into a solid MLB contributor. But he had a 110 OPS+ and 3.1 WAR for the San Diego Padres last year as their primary left fielder.
The 30-year-old did not have a traditional spring training to prepare for the season, so it's not surprising that he's off to a relatively slow start, but he does have eight doubles and five home runs in 37 games.
With an .830 OPS since the calendar has flipped to May, his performance is trending in the right direction, and an also-ran Rockies team should be open to moving him.
Outside-the-Box Addition: Preston Tucker, San Diego Padres
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The older brother of Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker, Preston was once a promising prospect in his own right. He posted a 102 OPS+ with 19 doubles and 13 home runs in 98 games as a rookie in 2015.
After failing to build on that performance and then bouncing around to a few different teams in the years that followed, he spent the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons playing for the Kia Tigers in the KBO.
The 32-year-old returned stateside in the Atlanta Braves organization last year, and now he's making a strong case for a return to the majors. He's hitting .311/.456/.600 with 14 extra-base hits in 114 plate appearances with the San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate.
The Los Angeles Dodgers plucked an impact contributor from the minor league ranks when they acquired Trayce Thompson last season. Tucker could be a similar buy-low target this year.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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