Top 10 Bats the Mets Could Target at the Trade Deadline

As the trade deadline approaches, the New York Mets have a glaring need they must address over anything else. That’s the bullpen, which has cost the team multiple games thus far in 2024.

But even with additions to the bullpen, it would behoove the Mets to add an outfielder. Brandon Nimmo and Harrison Bader have been fantastic this year, but Starling Marte has been on the shelf since late June and is a question mark at best.

In Marte’s absence, the Mets have been rolling with Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart, and occasionally Jeff McNeil in right field. Even Ben Gamel has seen some playing time. None of them have gotten the job done.

Taylor, surprisingly, has reverse splits this year, recording a measly .491 OPS against lefties; Stewart doesn’t even have a hit against a lefty this year in 13 plate appearances. Even Bader has struggled against southpaws, putting up a .554 OPS.

In a perfect world, the Mets need a right fielder who has a good arm and can hit left-handed pitching. That would complement this team perfectly and give the Mets insurance in case Marte continues to recover slowly.

On the July 17 episode of Locked on Mets, our own Ryan Finkelstein outlined ten outfielders the Mets could target at the trade deadline, divided into three categories.

Mets Trade Targets: Former Mets

There are a few former Mets who might be welcome additions to the team, not just because of their familiarity with the club, but also because their skillsets might be what the Mets need.

1. Michael Conforto

Michael Conforto was a fan favorite during his seven years with the Mets and for good reason. Conforto compiled 132 home runs and an .824 OPS before signing a two-year, $36 million deal with the Giants prior to the 2023 season.

Conforto has been a solid bat for San Francisco in his two years there, including this year. He currently has a .707 OPS in 79 games.

What’s interesting about Conforto this year is he has actually seen more success against left-handed pitchers than against righties. He has just 66 plate appearances versus lefties but has a .783 OPS and a 125 wRC+.

Conforto also has experience playing right field at Citi Field and still possesses a strong arm. That’s exactly the kind of player the Mets should be looking for.

The former Met is 31 years old and making $18 million this year. He will be a free agent after the season and could potentially help the club down the stretch if they can strike a deal with the Giants.

2. Kevin Pillar

Kevin Pillar had a brief stint with the Mets, playing just one season with the team in 2021. He played in 124 games and recorded a .692 OPS, but the Mets might be interested in bringing him back if he can provide more of an offensive impact this time around.

Pillar, believe it or not, is having the best full season of his career in terms of OPS. After a brutal start to the year with the White Sox, Pillar has been one of the offensive standouts for the Angels, where he has an .825 OPS and a 131 wRC+ in 49 games played.

He’s been especially productive against lefties, hitting .371/.413/.629/1.042 with a 192 wRC+ in 75 plate appearances.

That said, Pillar, had his numbers inflated by an extraordinary May in which he recorded a 1.147 OPS for the entire month. Since then, he’s put together a slash of .198/.270/.296/.566 in 89 plate appearances.

Defense has always been Pillar’s calling card, though, and he still possesses a strong arm with the ability to play all three outfield spots. The veteran is 35 years old and will be a free agent at the end of this year.

Acquiring Pillar would be a risky move for David Stearns, considering his age and his numbers since the end of May, but his defense and ability to hit against lefties would be what makes Stearns pull the trigger on any potential trade.

3. Tommy Pham

Tommy Pham spent just the first half of the 2023 season with New York. He was controversial in that he was extremely effective at the plate, but also called out the Mets’ work ethic after he got traded to the Diamondbacks.

Pham has spent the 2024 season with the White Sox, where he has compiled a .710 OPS in 66 games played. His batting average against righties is higher than it is against lefties, but Pham has gotten on base and slugged much more against lefties, leading to an .848 OPS against southpaws versus a .674 OPS against righties.

Like Pillar, Pham has also slowed down after a strong start to the year. Since the beginning of June, he has just a .650 OPS.

Considering Pham is 36 years old and is not playing at the level he did with the Mets last year, combined with his comments from last season, bringing him in via trade doesn’t seem like a great idea.

4. Mark Canha

Mark Canha, on the other hand, would be a tremendous fit, at least when it comes to the clubhouse. The former Met spent 2022 and half of 2023 in Queens and was beloved by the team and the fans.

There are areas of concern when it comes to Canha, however. The 35-year-old has a .695 OPS, which would be the worst of his career over a full season played. Perhaps that number is lower because he’s been nursing a hip injury, but regardless, it’s not ideal.

Canha has been fantastic against lefties, recording an .880 OPS and a 147 wRC+, but he has really struggled against righties. The Mets could realistically work with a platoon, though, where Canha handles lefties and Tyrone Taylor bats against righties.

Still, Canha does not have a very good arm, and, considering all of his downsides, he might provide negative trade value. What the Mets could do in that case is work out a package deal with the Tigers and acquire Canha alongside one of Detroit’s impressive relievers for less of a price.

This is a trade Mets fans would easily buy into, and it would be a less expensive way to solve the right field problem if Stearns wants to go that route. Add in a reliever and this could be a very good trade for the Mets.

Mets Trade Targets: Division Rivals

In case Stearns isn’t impressed with any of the former Mets listed above, he could always search within the NL East for a right fielder. There are some really solid options that would give the Mets’ lineup much more depth.

5. Jazz Chisholm Jr.

With the season the Marlins are having, a Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade feels inevitable. Would he fit in well with the Mets?

Chisholm is a second baseman turned center fielder who has no experience playing right field. That alone elicits concern. He also doesn’t provide enough offense to drown out that concern, hitting just .251/.324/.413 with a slightly above-average OPS and wRC+ this season.

His batting average and on-base percentage are nearly identical against righties and lefties, but Chisholm doesn’t slug much against lefties at all. He barrels up the ball at an above-average rate, but the rest of his underlying metrics aren’t as promising.

Chisholm would undoubtedly enjoy the spotlight that New York City offers, but clubhouse concerns as well as concerns on the field don’t make him a good fit for this New York Mets team. Considering what the Marlins’ asking price will surely be, expect the Mets to stay away.

6. Jesse Winker

Mets fans likely aren’t too fond of Jesse Winker after he became somewhat of a Mets villain in early 2019. However, he’s likely to be on the market and could be a target for Stearns to bolster the lineup.

Winker has had a resurgent year with the Nationals after struggling mightily in 2022 and 2023 with the Mariners and Brewers, respectively. He has an .803 OPS with 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases with a 129 wRC+ in 98 games.

Winker has produced normal splits, meaning he hits much better against righties than lefties; 10 of his 11 home runs have come against right-handers.

He has also primarily served as a left fielder when he’s not the designated hitter, prompting questions about how he could play right field in Citi Field. Winker has a strong arm, but overall, he hasn’t been good defensively this year.

All the signs point away from the Mets going after Winker. He doesn’t fit what the team should be targeting. However, the Nationals do have another outfielder that might be a better fit.

7. Lane Thomas

Lane Thomas would cost more than Winker, given he has an extra year of control and better tools, but the Mets would be getting back a really good player if they acquire Thomas.

Thomas has served as the Nats’ primary right fielder this year and owns one of the strongest arms in all of baseball; it ranks in the 95th percentile according to Statcast.

Not only that, but Thomas is also one of the fastest players in baseball. He has 93rd percentile sprint speed which has helped him steal 26 bases, a career high. Thomas’ speed has not helped him in the outfield, though, as he has been worth -8 outs above average, the same as Winker.

Thomas is fantastic against lefties, authoring a .932 OPS against southpaws versus a .620 OPS against righties this year. Essentially, Thomas would be a healthier, younger, and faster version of what Starling Marte had been earlier this year for the Mets.

The main question surrounding Thomas is what the return would look like. Do other suitors consider him a platoon outfielder, or do they consider him a good starting player with two years of control? Either way, Stearns would be remiss not to check in on Thomas.

Mets Trade Targets: Blockbusters

David Stearns could shock the baseball world by acquiring a game-changing talent. While unlikely, it’s worthwhile to see which names he could target if he decides to go this route.

8. Luis Robert Jr.

One of the biggest names on the trade market this year will be Luis Robert Jr.

The White Sox outfielder is a center fielder and has not played right field in his career. That alone should deter the Mets, but another factor that will deter them is his price.

Robert, especially if he’s packaged with All-Star Garrett Crochet, will warrant a hefty return of multiple top prospects. He has three years of team control left and has played at an All-Star level his entire career when healthy.

Health has been Robert’s biggest hurdle, as he has constantly dealt with injuries throughout his career. Given all of these factors, it would be a major surprise if the Mets made an effort to go after Robert, as good as he is.

9. Brent Rooker

Arguably the biggest All-Star snub this year was Brent Rooker, who has built off of a fantastic 2023 season with an even better 2024 performance.

Rooker has played a few games this year in each corner outfield spot but has been the A’s primary designated hitter. If the Mets were to acquire him, they would stick him in right field and let his bat make up for his poor defense.

Rooker is the best pure hitter the Mets could acquire, as he has a .900 OPS or higher against both lefties and righties. The 29-year-old has three years of arbitration left after this season, so the A’s will be seeking a big return for him.

That makes Rooker unlikely to land with the Mets, though perhaps likelier than Robert.

10. Randy Arozarena

Randy Arozarena has the kind of personality that thrives in New York. He’s the kind of player that, if acquired, could become an immediate fan favorite. Think Yoenis Céspedes, who was as integral to the Mets winning the 2015 National League pennant as anyone else on that team.

Arozarena has two years of control after this season, but where a problem arises is that he’s not a right fielder. He’s purely a left fielder, which is where Brandon Nimmo has cemented himself this year. Perhaps you slide Nimmo back over to center field, but that doesn’t make much sense.

Arozarena is having a down year by his standards, possessing a .717 OPS with 15 home runs and 16 stolen bases. He’s swinging the bat much better against southpaws, owning an OPS over .200 points higher against lefties than against righties.

This is a trend that’s consistent over his career. Arozarena loves to hit lefties, which is exactly the kind of player the Mets should be looking to acquire.

His arm is a concern, which is why you couldn’t put Arozarena in right field, and the Rays would demand a big return even in a year where Arozarena hasn’t really looked like himself.

Out of these three blockbuster scenarios, acquiring Arozarena makes the most sense for the Mets. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s likely. If Stearns checks in with the Rays, it’ll likely be him doing his due diligence. Don’t expect him to cough up any major prospects in a deal, though.