The Mets Handled the Trade Deadline Perfectly

The Stearns front office did exactly what it should have done

That was a weird Trade Deadline, wasn’t it? The news was coming in from all sides, and none of it seemed to fit together with everything else:

• “BREAKING: The Cardinals have acquired a starting pitcher in exchange for six of the best prospects of all time”

• “SOURCE: The Braves have re-acquired two key pieces from their 2021 championship team, swapping them for a 1993 Toyota Corolla. The new additions will donate their salaries to the Braves Foundation.”

• “JUST IN: The Padres have traded their entire Minor League system for a Player To Be Named Later.”

• “UPDATE: The Dodgers have acquired Jack Flaherty, sending the Tigers two prospects and a bag of sunflower seeds.”

And in the middle of it all, where were the Mets? Making small, sensible moves and paying fair prices for pieces that represented small but steady improvements.

It was strange — it felt like being Oscar on The Office, trying to have a normal day while everyone else argued about whether Michael was being shaken down by the mob. But it was also exactly the way the Mets should have approached the deadline, and it’s put them in a strong position to finish out the 2024 season while remaining poised to contend for years into the future.

2024 was always supposed to be a kind of hybrid — contending for the postseason with the existing core and external complementary pieces, while keeping the prospect powder dry and working to build a sustainable, fearsome farm system. So the Mets made additions like Harrison Bader, Luis Severino, and Sean Manaea, while eschewing long-term deals and blockbuster trades. And sure enough, despite a slow start, they’re 57-50 and in playoff position with the calendar on the verge of flipping to August, certainly not a juggernaut but also far from a lost cause.

Things are going according to plan, and the deadline was part of that. It’s easy to see the Mets in playoff contention and demand that they abandon the measured approach, empty out the farm system, and load up on win-now talent. It’s likewise easy to look at the shocking prospect hauls that some of Tuesday’s trades yielded and wish that the Mets had torn down and held another fire sale. But the Stearns administration knows what it’s doing, and it stuck to the script: keeping the 2024 Mets in the playoff race, while leaving the farm intact for 2025 and beyond.

In adding Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, Tyler Zuber, and Huascar Brazobán, the Mets seem to have landed four solid-to-excellent relievers. Even if only half of them end up working out, that’s a  huge boost to a bullpen that just keeps getting injured. Paul Blackburn, meanwhile, started the year strong, but has made just three starts since the beginning of May during his recovery from a foot injury. It’s not at all clear how he’ll look going forward, but the Mets must think they’ll be able to wring some solid starts out of him; at the very least, he’s probably a better bet than Tylor Megill. And in Jesse Winker, the Mets have landed a solid outfield bat, certainly an upgrade over DJ Stewart and Ben Gamel.

What was the alternative? Going a little crazy and shelling out prospects for Flaherty, Trevor Rogers, Yusei Kikuchi, or Erick Fedde; starters with better track records than Blackburn (to varying extents), but whose track records meant they cost more in trade value than they were worth.

Why, for instance, did the final two months of Kikuchi’s season — he’s 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA — cost the Astros two top-15 prospects, as well as a player who was a top-5 prospect before his recent graduation from prospect status? Because Kikuchi has a better track record and a higher ceiling than Blackburn, and he’s due for some natural improvement. But if you’re trying to build a team that lasts, as the Mets are, what makes more sense? Bringing in Blackburn in exchange for your No. 25 prospect, and hoping he’ll work out as your fifth starter, maybe putting up an ERA around 4.00? Or bringing in Kikuchi for your No. 9 (set to move up to No. 2!) and 13 prospects and your No. 5 prospect emeritus … and hoping he’ll work out as your fifth starter, maybe putting up an ERA around 4.00?

Put it this way: the Mets’ version of the players the Astros traded for Kikuchi is probably something like Christian Scott, Jeremy Rodriguez, and Ronny Mauricio (prospect people, don’t get too upset — I can only estimate). Which is insane.

The Mets’ deadline wasn’t flashy, and it didn’t turn them into a superteam. But it built on the present while preserving the future, which is exactly what was supposed to happen. That, really, is the best part of all this. It’s reassuring — and frankly, elating — to see that the front office knows exactly what it’s doing, and isn’t afraid to go out and do it.