David Peterson shouldn't be out too long, Carlos Carrasco could be back within a month, and Noah Syndergaard's return is still a possibility…but that doesn't mean the Mets won't add another arm, or two, at the trade deadline if the price and the product are right.
"I think at this point, given the timetables of those guys, you can't make assumptions. There's only one trade deadline. It's not the way we used to have it with August waivers-type trades, so you really gotta put your best foot forward in terms of building out the depth the rest of the way," Mets GM Zack Scott told the media on Monday. "I go into it thinking, 'Yeah, if we get those guys back, it's a bonus. If you have more guys, you figure it out.'"
Scott emphasized that the Mets' goal is to win the NL East, which they lead by four games entering Tuesday, and he is open to any moves that will do that; during the chat, Scott also mentioned the possibility of upgrading third base even with J.D. Davis set to return soon, but the team won't make a move just to do so.
"One thing I say a lot to a lot of people around me in the game is we've got to remember that baseball is not the NBA," Scott said. "It's not one person that has the opportunity to make as big of an impact. That's not to go down a slippery slope and say, 'Why trade for any rental, then, if it's not going to make an impact?' You don't want to go down that far. But the reality is the game is designed to limit the impact of a single player, whether that's a starting pitcher or a hitter. So we have to be smart."
When it comes to the rotation, Jose Berrios from the Twins may be the biggest piece available, but other rentals such as Minnesota's Kyle Gibson, Kansas City's Danny Duffy, or others could be a wiser play for a Mets team that has the potential Cy Young winner atop the rotation and two big All-Star snubs behind him.
Tylor Megill and some combination of Jerad Eickhoff, Corey Oswalt, and others are holding down the back end in the absences of Peterson and Joey Lucchesi (and Carrasco and Syndergaard and Jordan Yamamoto), but even an upgrade there is something the Mets would consider.
"I think we're open to any type of addition to the roster that makes the team better. We have three very good guys at the top of the rotation, so it doesn't have to necessarily be that top of the rotation guy," Scott said. "It could just be someone that helps us stabilize those things until we get healthier."
Scott took a page from Brian Cashman's quote book by noting he must toe the balance between short-term success and long-term set-up, having said no already to some top prospect proposals despite saying "I don't consider anyone untouchable."
"My job is to make sure I don't overreact to the short-term and make a mistake that way," Scott said. "I've never been part of a team where we felt like a perfect team, so you're always focused on, 'What can we make better?' That's the job."
And so, the calls will continue, even as Scott knows the price tags may go up as July 31 approaches.
"I'm having calls every day, the acquisition costs change as time goes on," Scott said. "We haven't seen a lot of action throughout the league, so I think that gives you a sense where the prices are at. I don't think anything is imminent, but we're trying to work toward something pretty much every day."
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