The New York Mets are reportedly in trade discussions with the Chicago Cubs to land two impactful players that could fill a couple of major needs ahead of the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline.
The Mets are heading into the deadline with one of the best records in baseball and some grand hopes of trying to bring a World Series title to Flushing for the first time since 1986. However, before they can even ponder their chances in October, they need to secure the National League East title first. And they are currently in a dogfight with 2021 MLB champs the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves are just 2.5 games behind and are sure to be a thorn in New York’s side for the rest of the season. And considering the Mets’ history of blowing first-place leads, they need to do all they can to improve on their weaknesses before Aug. 2.
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While the team has been linked to various players, including Luis Castillo and Juan Soto, improving their bullpen and the catcher position has been a priority over the last couple of months. A new report claims the team may have a trade partner in the Chicago Cubs that could help them address both areas in one fell swoop.
New York Mets in talks to bring David Robertson back to New York
On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated reported that the Mets and Cubs are talking about a deal that could send several notable prospects to Chicago, and bring the top catcher on the market and a playoff-proven reliever back to New York.
“According to sources, the Mets and Cubs have had ongoing discussions about a potential trade package for catcher Willson Contreras and relief pitcher David Robertson that would see New York send multiple top prospects to Chicago.”
SI report on possible Mets and Cubs trade
Three-time All-Star Contreras is the best catcher available at the deadline, and the Mets are in serious need of a fix at the position with regular starter James McCann dealing with injuries throughout the season and having a terrible year in the time he has played.
- Willson Contreras stats (2022): .258/.373./.470,14 HR, 37 RBI
Yet, while Contreras would be a major addition, Robertson would also be an equally big help in the bullpen. Not because the Mets pen has been bad in 2022 — they’ve actually been pretty good — but because the 37-year-old is battle-tested in New York playoff games after his years with the Yankees. Not to mention, he is having a big bounce-back season for the Cubs with a sub-2.00 ERA and 14 saves.
The SI piece also notes that Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty — the Mets top two prospects — would not be included in a deal with Chicago.