The MLB trade deadline is just over one month away and rumors are beginning to heat up. It is beginning to become clear which teams will be buyers and sellers — although some teams have yet to decide a path. Some teams are going to make the wrong decisions. Others may have the right intentions, but it will not work out. Today, I am predicting that three specific ball clubs will make massive mistakes with their trade deadline strategies.
Mets are going to be the Mets
The Mets are trying to build a winning team, but it is not going according to plan. They seem like they are being operated by someone who is playing MLB The Show on franchise mode. New York simply signs or trades for players who often don’t fit specific roster needs, and then the team just changes the players’ position to make it work.
To be fair, the Mets have dealt with injury concerns this year. The concerns have played a role in their underperformance. Marcus Semien is the latest player to suffer an injury, as he was placed on the injured list on Thursday.
So, can things get even worse for the ball club at the MLB trade deadline? Well, I’d love to give Mets fans some hope, but knowing this team, it would not be surprising to see them make this mess even more alarming in July.
MLB insider Mark Feinsand recently wrote in an article for MLB.com that the Mets may not even sell at the trade deadline despite their underwhelming performance this season.
“First, I’m not so sure the Mets are even going to be sellers, let alone ready for a fire sale. As bad as the season has gone for them, they’re only seven games out of a playoff spot (entering their doubleheader Wednesday), and I think Steve Cohen and David Stearns are going to give their high-priced roster every opportunity to get hot and challenge for one of those Wild Card spots,” Feinsand wrote.
Not selling would be an obvious mistake for the Mets. Even if they somehow reach the postseason, New York is not going to be able to upset both the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in the playoffs. Sure, there is no reason to trade stars who are under contract for years to come such as Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, but many players should be made available for deals.
Yet, given how the Mets have operated, they might not sell and end up wasting the season.
Padres going all in for early playoff exit
Oh, AJ Preller. It is always challenging to predict what the San Diego Padres’ general manager will do next. Heck, he may even give half of the Padres’ farm system away for a few months of Tarik Skubal.
I like optimistic thinking. Going all in is respectable, but San Diego needs to be real with itself at the moment. The Dodgers are simply a much better team than they are, and the Padres’ offense has been brutal this year. If San Diego is going to buy, adding offense should be the priority. However, going all in this season will still likely end up in an early round postseason exit.
The Padres do not have to sell. They do not need to enter a complete rebuild. However, moving on from multiple star prospects for players who will be free agents sooner rather than later is an extremely risky strategy. The Padres will probably end up trading for a player in that exact situation, and they will probably end up watching that player sign a massive deal with a different team during the offseason.
Angels won’t do anything that makes sense again
At least the Mets and Padres are trying to win. You can’t say that about the Angels. You also can’t say the Angels are trying to rebuild. I don’t know what you can say about this team to be honest.
We all know they should have traded Shohei Ohtani before he entered free agency a few years ago. Instead, the Halos kept Ohtani and watched him sign with the Dodgers in free agency.
Mike Trout’s loyalty to the Angels is respectable. Most reports and rumors have suggested he will not be traded this season. The fact that he is currently injured makes the chances of a Trout trade coming to fruition even more slim.
What about other players, though? Will the Angels actually make a smart decision and sell high on a player such as Reid Detmers? Will they consider the idea of moving players like Zach Neto and Jo Adell for prospects?
I’d love to say the Angels will finally enter the rebuild we have been waiting for, but it’s not going to happen. Owner Arte Moreno likes to keep just enough talent to keep fans coming to the stadium. The Angels are a bad team right now, but they have some good players. A completely bad team with not many recognizable names seems to be Moreno’s worst nightmare.
The Angels once again won’t do anything that makes sense at the trade deadline, and it’s a real shame. Angels fans deserve better.
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