mets

Is It a Mistake for the Mets to Make a Trade?

This is Fausto Carmona, the Cleveland Indians pitcher who is one of the Mets’ main trade targets over the next week and a half before the July 31 trading deadline. Other “targets” include the Astros’ Roy Oswalt, the Cubs’ Ted Lilly, the Indians’ Jake Westbrook, and, least likely, the Diamondbacks’ Dan Haren. (All pitchers, though pitching hardly seemed the problem in San Francisco.) It’s not known what the Mets’ primary trading chips would be, though catcher Josh Thole, outfielder Fernando Martinez, and one of the gaggle of young middle infielders are the primary candidates. That’s not overwhelming, though, and it’s worth asking whether two months of a mid-tier pitcher is worth the Mets giving up a future prospect, particularly considering it’s far from assured that the Mets are on the cusp of a playoff spot. You’ll hear a ton of scenarios in the next twelve days, but with Cliff Lee off the market and no other impact starter available, we’re not sure why the Mets are in such a hurry to do something. Of course, Oliver Perez is coming back soon, so we suppose that would make anyone panic.

Is It a Mistake for the Mets to Make a Trade?