3 early-season trades Mets must make

And Wednesday, Cohen stirred the pot once again, saying in a since-deleted tweet that the Mets couldn’t do anything until the deadline, but seemingly acknowledging in the process that they would indeed be sellers. And as painful as that would be for diehard Mets fans, it would make sense from the standpoint that the Mets don’t look close to competing with the other top NL contenders. Plus, the Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer trades were always about setting New York up for 2025, not sooner.

So for the purposes of this piece, we’re going to treat the Mets as sure-thing sellers. We’re not going to trade Pete Alonso, because it really does make sense for both sides to work out an extension, whether during or after the season. But every other short-term contract is fair game. It’s a seller’s market today and everything must go!

Trade DH J.D. Martinez to Rangers

Since bringing up Wyatt Langford at the start of the season hasn’t paid off thus far, the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers are hurting for production from the DH spot. And quality veteran hitting is something all playoff hopefuls value immensely at the deadline, because you trust the moment will never be too big for someone like J.D. Martinez, a former world champion in his own right.

And although the Mets certainly weren’t punting on their season when they signed Martinez to a one-year, $14 million deal, they also knew this was always a very distinct possibility. Martinez is 36 years old and at this point, he’s pretty much playing out his career one year at a time. He wants to chase championships and if the Mets weren’t going to be in contention for one, he knew they’d be happy to trade him somewhere else to get some prospects back.

All that makes Martinez and the Rangers a perfect match. They can send something in the neighborhood of RHP Brock Porter and SS/2B Cameron Cauley, their No. 7 and 12 prospects respectively, for a true rental bat with an .872 career OPS in Martinez. Everyone wins and both franchises get closer to achieving their goals on their designated timelines.

Trade SP Luis Severino to Brewers

Speaking of one-year acquisitions paying off handsomely, starting pitcher Luis Severino has been far better than most expected for the Mets thus far. With a 3.00 ERA and 3.71 FIP in 45 innings, Severino is setting himself up to be dealt to a contender as well and for first-year GM David Stearns, what better place to trade anyone than the front office he called home before New York?

The Milwaukee Brewers, for whom Stearns was the main architect from 2015-22, are in dire need of help in the starting rotation. With injuries to DL Hall and Wade Miley, the Brewers have been piecing this thing together from day one, although admirable performances from reclamation project Bryse Wilson and rookie Robert Gasser have given them a lift. Bringing in one more sturdy veteran starter would do wonders for the Brew Crew as they make their push toward October.

In return for Severino, the Mets should ask for 19-year-old outfield prospect Luis Lara, currently rated as Milwaukee’s No. 7 prospect. A switch-hitter with plus speed, Lara could be the center fielder of New York’s future, and it should be easy to convince the Brewers to part way with him considering the surplus of young outfielders already in Milwaukee. This is another trade that makes almost too much sense for both teams.

Trade RP Adam Ottavino to Cubs

Adam Ottavino was having a phenomenal season through the end of April, but has stumbled a bit as of late. Even so, he’s got an excellent ERA at 3.31 and a stellar WHIP at 0.98. Relief pitchers are the easiest chips to move in trades because every contending team always wants more weapons to deploy in late-game scenarios and right now, the Chicago Cubs aren’t sure they can trust any of theirs.

Chicago thought it had its closer of the future in Adbert Alzolay, who had an excellent 2023 season. But Alzolay lost his job this season due to giving up a bevy of home runs and now finds himself on the injured list, so he can’t even be used in the seventh or eighth innings. Hector Neris has been more dependable as of late, closing six of seven save opportunities, but there’s still no denying this bullpen is thin. Ottavino would be a more-than-welcome addition.

Teams rarely part with their best prospects to acquire relievers, but it seems safe to guess that the Cubs would at least be willing to throw in a prospect ranked somewhere between 10-20 in their system. Drew Gray, Chicago’s 11th-ranked prospect, is a great fit for New York. He doesn’t have his command totally figured out but he has two plus pitches and a great frame at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds. If he works out as a starter, great, but if not, he can replace Ottavino in the bullpen for years to come.