The timeline for all 30 teams to significantly improve their roster with the MLB trade deadline is getting shorter and shorter. This is a chance for serious postseason contenders to improve their rosters immediately with reliable pitchers and batters. For teams that know their seasons will be over soon, they will look to build for the future by taking in and developing young prospects and stars. The New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates are in different situations to trade with each other in either a long-term or short-term plan.
In a proposed trade by MetCast, the Mets would trade four players, including three talented prospects, to the Pirates. These players include third baseman Mark Vientos, right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell (AAA), outfielder Drew Gilbert (AAA), and left-handed pitcher Jonathan Santucci (AA). The Pirates would then trade two veteran impact players in centerfielder Oneil Cruz and starting pitcher Mitch Keller.Â
How the Trade Helps the Mets
For the New York Mets, they get two immediate impacts to help in their chase for a World Series title. Cruz has been one of the more explosive players at the plate this season. In 336 at-bats in 93 games played, Cruz has accounted for 52 runs, 73 hits, a team-high 17 home runs, and 42 RBIs.Â
Cruz has had some problems consistently getting on base and swinging so much. He has a batting average of .217 and 124 strikeouts. Cruz could likely play better in a new setting, and he will help some of the outfielding concerns the Mets currently have.
The Mets are third in the league in ERA this season (3.52), but that doesn’t mean they couldnât improve their effective unit. In 125 innings in 21 games played, Keller has accounted for an ERA of 3.52. He has become one of the more effective starting pitchers, not only for the Pittsburgh Pirates but in the NL. Keller has star potential next to Paul Skenes, but Kellerâs impact can help a win-now team as he is getting older. Three of the top five starting pitchers for the Mets are also set to be free agents or have arbitration in the off-season.
How the Trade Helps the Pirates
On paper, this is a trade that immediately helps the New York Mets, but the Pittsburgh Pirates are desperately looking for young talent for the future. Their best player, Skenes, is 23 years old, thus giving them time to develop their roster, provided they pay him well. Pittsburgh is still under some pressure to start seeing progress with the young players they already have.
Tidwell finally has Major League experience this season and has been playing well for the most part in AAA. Gilbert and Santucci have yet to play in the Major League and have been playing great this season, especially Gilbert in AAA play. These three prospects can be properly developed and tested early to see if they can make an early impact beyond this season.Â
The most enticing player in the trade proposal to the Pirates is the Metsâ 25-year-old third baseman Vientos. He had a big breakout year last year for the Mets in 111 games played, and he continues to grow in his fourth season in the league. Through the 184 combined games last season and this season, Vientos has accounted for 168 hits, 80 runs, 33 home runs, 98 RBIs, 51 walks, 202 strikeouts, a batting average of .251, an on-base percentage of .306, and a slugging percentage of .455.Â
Vientos has the potential to be an immediate All-Star player for the Pirates. There is a chance for him to grow with the Mets, but there might be more opportunity to grow under a bigger spotlight in Pittsburgh, a team that is begging for a young offensive star.
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