5 players New York Mets could target before the trade deadline

The New York Mets are in a very interesting spot this season. The good news is that the team is presently leading the National League in wins and second only to the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball. The bad news is that they're going to have to keep this pace up without their arguable two best players, as Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are working their way back from serious injuries and are unlikely to return before late June. The depth for the team will be questioned. However, barring a catastrophic collapse, the New York Mets will likely be buyers in July prior to the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline.

Here are five players the New York Mets could target before the trade deadline:

#5 Noah Syndergaard

Los Angeles Angels v Texas Rangers

Yes, the New York Mets had a chance to re-sign Syndergaard before he departed to the Los Angeles Angels. To their credit, it appears that the Mets were competitive, but Syndergaard simply felt he would be better off in Los Angeles. Fortunately for the Mets, Syndergaard doesn't have a no-trade clause, and if the Angels end up falling out of contention in the American League West, Syndergaard presents an appealing contract that can help the club recoup some prospects and reload for the upcoming seasons. In each of the last three seasons, the New York Mets have made major trades that acquired a pitcher who was one year out from free agency (Trevor Williams and Carlos Carrasco in 2021, Miguel Castro in 2020, and Marcus Stroman in 2019), and they know that Thor can handle the bright lights of New York. A reunion could be a unique way to bolster a playoff run and brace for the potential departures of Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Carlos Carrasco via free agency after this season concludes.

#4 Frankie Montas

Tampa Bay Rays v Oakland Athletics

One of the keys to the success of the New York Mets in 2022 is the production provided by former Oakland Athletics players. Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Chris Bassitt have been instrumental in the Mets ascension to first in the National League this year, so why not go to the well one more time. Like Syndergaard, Montas is not a free agent until the end of the 2023 season. The baseball community was reasonably surprised the right-hander wasn't dealt already. Montas slots in as a reliable source of innings that can help the Mets limit the workload of deGrom and Scherzer as they round into postseason form.

#3 Josh Bell

Washington Nationals v Miami Marlins

The first baseman for the Washington Nationals has seemingly put it together this season. He's managed to blend contact and power to hit for one of the best offensive seasons of his career. However, it's abundantly clear that the Nationals are rebuilding, and the Mets are looking for another source of power to plug in at a designated hitter spot. Currently, Bell would be a much better option than Dominic Smith or J.D. Davis, who receive the lion's shares of DH at-bats.

#2 Juan Soto

New York Mets v Washington Nationals

Yes, yes. It's highly unlikely that the Nats deal Soto at the deadline, as previously reported, and even if he was on the market it wouldn't be in their best interest to trade him to the New York Mets. However, if the Mets can get creative (for example, facilitating a three-team trade that would get an extra couple of prospects for pending free agent outfielder Brandon Nimmo), the team might be able to put together an aggressive enough package that the Nationals won't be able to refuse.

"We post every Juan Soto HR no matter what" - @ Washington Nationals

It's a longshot, but adding Soto would give the New York Mets a lethal lineup that could rival the Dodgers in the playoffs.

#1 Willson Contreras

Pittsburgh Pirates v Chicago Cubs

Part of what makes this New York Mets team so great is its talent in all facets of the roster. Realistically, the only position where the team could almost guarantee improvement would be at the catcher position, mainly because it can't get much worse. Willson Contreras is having another stellar offensive campaign behind the dish, posting an .865 OPS to lead all MLB catchers. The pending free agent would serve as both an upgrade over James McCann's .551 OPS and a nice bridge to top prospect Francisco Alvarez. The Chicago Cubs have shown a willingness to deal with the Mets after sending over Javy Baez at last year's trade deadline and have a good idea on how the Mets farm system works.

"Willson Contreras' 100th career home run comes in the grandest of fashions." - @ Chicago Cubs

That level of offense from the catching position is exceptionally rare in baseball today, and it could be what helps the Mets go deep into October.