MLB Trade Deadline: Could the New York Mets Be Buyers?

Had this question posed by the title of this article been asked a few weeks ago, the answer would have been a resounding no. There was speculation that Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran, Francisco Rodriguez and even David Wright might be traded.

Now, that may not be the case.

The Mets have fought back and are now just four-and-a-half games back in the wild card race. Considering everything the Mets have gone through this year—Jason Bay’s struggles, playing without Johan Santana, losing Chris Young for the year and having to play without David Wright and Ike Davis for an extended period of time—what they have done is very impressive and there is a lot of room for improvement.

The Mets should get Santana back this year. He is expected to return in late July or early August. If he can be the pitcher that he once was, it would be a huge boost for the Mets starting rotation.

Wright and Davis might also return in mid-July. While this is a long wait for these stars to return, their addition back into the Mets lineup will be welcomed.

If the Mets can stay in the hunt for the wild card when Wright, Davis and possibly Santana come back, they are going to have some decisions to make. The team could actually be buyers, and not sellers, at the trade deadline this year.

There are some other issues that the Mets would have to work around. They likely cannot take on any large contracts because of the team’s financial situation, and their farm system is average.

The Mets could go after a pitcher such as Jeff Francis to help shore up the back end of their rotation.

The team could also use help at catcher this season since Josh Thole has been struggling. Ryan Doumit or Chris Snyder of the Pirates could be a good fit in a deal for the Mets.

Another place that the Mets could use some help is in their bullpen. At the trade deadline, there will be a lot of bullpen arms that the Mets can try to acquire.

It may be shocking, but the Mets may actually be buyers at the deadline this year.