Buyers or Sellers
The New York Mets took all the headlines Sunday afternoon by trading for All-Star Marcus Stroman. Everyone around the league expected the Stro-Show to take his HDMH trademark to another location, but the Mets were not on anyone’s radar. This news shocked the league and left fans quite confused. The 50-55 New York Mets were not expected to be buyers at the deadline, and they are actively shopping Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler.
Noah Syndergaard and Edwin Diaz
Brodie Van Wagenen (Mets GM) has taken a win-now approach to a team that does not seem ready for that strategy just yet. On the surface the deal does not make a ton of sense, as the Mets are still shopping some of their top arms. However, they successfully cornered the pitching market and upgraded their current rotation. Rumors are flying about trades involving Noah Syndergaard, but I would be surprised to see him get dealt. The Mets did not re-sign DeGrom to be the face of their rebuild. Edwin Diaz could be on the move as his ERA is more than double what it was last season and nobody is benefiting from the Mets keeping Diaz besides opposing hitters. The Mets may be selling, but they are going to keep anyone who will have value to the team next season.
Marcus Stroman headed home
Stroman is signed through the 2020 season, and it seems as though they are going to keep him around to beef up their already quality rotation. The Long Island native is having a terrific season, and brings a fire that the team does not currently have. Marcus is 6-11 with a 2.96 ERA and 99 Ks in 124.2 IP. Stroman is considered a ground-ball pitcher, which could be a problem as the Mets rank 24th in fielding percentage. What is great about the move is that he can be traded next deadline if the team does not take another step in 2020.
Zack Wheeler
Zack Wheeler (7-6, 4.71 ERA) should be on the move in the next coming days and the Mets should get some quality prospects in return as they have just removed a top arm from the market, increasing Wheeler’s value. The pitching market this deadline and this off-season is rather weak. The Mets should be able to find a team that is desperate to make a move and get a quality return for a player that has yet to live up to expectations. Wheeler has not done much to be desired, but he is a strikeout pitcher. Wheeler has 137 Ks in 124.1 IP in 2019. Dealing Zack Wheeler should be a good change for both Zack and the Mets because both sides could use a fresh start.