Mets Rumors: Outfielder Trade Likely At Winter Meetings
New York Mets Rumors: After re-signing Yoenis Cespedes last week, the Mets now have an excess of outfielders. There is a good chance that they trade one of them this week.
New York Mets rumors have heated up in recent days. With the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings taking place this week in National Harbor, Maryland, plenty of teams are going to be actively signing and trading players. Given their situation, the New York Mets will probably deal one of their many outfielders before the week is over.
As of right now, the Mets outfielders are Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Lagares, Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Curtis Granderson, and Jay Bruce. Out of those six, Bruce is the one who has the greatest chance of being traded this week.
Sandy Alderson called it "unlikely" that the Mets trade multiple outfielders. By far the most likely scenario remains dealing Jay Bruce.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) December 4, 2016
Teams have already expressed interest in trading for Bruce. The Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly shown the most interest in him. They are a team that could really use an outfielder right now. Because he’s a powerful left-handed hitter, Bruce is an attractive piece to add to a team.
Between the Mets and the Cincinnati Reds this past season, he batted .250 with 33 home runs and 99 RBIs. He initially had a rough time after being traded to the Mets on August 1st but was able to get hot during the last week of the season.
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Bruce will make $13 million next season. Earlier in the offseason, the Mets picked up his contract option for 2017. He will be a free agent next year, so if a team were to trade for him, they would not be making a long-term commitment.
There have also been rumors about the Mets potentially trading Granderson. Like Bruce, Granderson is also only under contract for one more season. Both players are talented and have plenty of trade value.
Between the two, however, the Mets clearly have more of an emotional attachment to Granderson, especially given the fact that he’s been with the team for three years. He has become a leader in the clubhouse and a huge part of the team.
Sandy Alderson admitted it would be difficult to trade Curtis Granderson given what he's meant to the club.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 4, 2016
In terms of what Mets general manager Sandy Alderson will ask for in exchange for one of his outfielders, look for him to try and get at least one good relief pitcher. They could use another arm in the bullpen to complement closer Jeurys Familia and setup man Addison Reed.
Familia was arrested on a domestic violence charge back on October 31. There is a chance that the MLB could suspend him for the start of the 2017 season. If this is the case, then the Mets would really benefit from having another solid reliever to pair with Reed, who would presumably close until Familia returns.
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It would be surprising if the Mets did not trade either Bruce or Granderson by the end of this week. There is no need to keep both players. Alderson has a good opportunity here to improve the bullpen by trading one of them. We’ll see what the Mets decide to do.