The New York Mets started the 2018 season off on a bright note with a 14-6 record through their first 20 games. Now as the team sits at 27-32 with injuries across the roster, the organization is considering a major change.
According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, officials in the organization indicated they would be crazy to not entertain open up the phone lines and take calls on players from contenders. That reportedly would include trading one of Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom, the team’s two aces.
It would be a dramatic step for a team that made it to the World Series back in 2015, in large part because of their top right-handed pitchers. But this would mark another down year for the Mets and given the desire for front-line starters under contract control, New York’s starters would be in massive demand.
It’s likely deGrom would be the favorite among teams given he carries a 1.49 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 98 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings this season. The 29-year-old is also on pace for his second consecutive season with 200-plus innings, offering the durability that teams covet.
As for Syndergaard, he is one of the most electric pitchers in baseball when healthy. He is also four years younger than deGrom, but the 25-year-old missed most of the 2017 season with a torn lat muscle and spent time on the disabled list this season with a strained ligament in his finger.
Both pitchers will attract interest from nearly every contender on the market, though the best fit might be the Yankees.
According to MLB.com, they entered 2018 with the sixth-best farm system in baseball. Their farm system is loaded with both position players and pitching prospects, which could be especially enticing to the Mets.
If the Mets continue to struggle, it now seems only a matter of time before they open the phone lines. If that happens, they will become the most interesting seller to watch and could dramatically improve their farm system in a matter of months.