As the MLB trade deadline inches closer, one of the teams that may be more active to keep an eye on is the New York Mets.
They made their first big move on Sunday, reportedly trading for Toronto Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman. The trade was an interesting one considering the Mets were expected to be sellers at the deadline in large part due to being six games out of the second National League Wild Card spot.
Acquiring Stroman may be a precursor to more deals for New York though, particularly allowing them to trade Noah Syndergaard.
A number of teams have shown interest in trading for Syndergaard since it was reported the Mets made him available, including the Los Angeles Dodgers.
While they could get a solid haul of prospects back for the former All-Star, it appears the Mets are looking for Major League players in a potential trade, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
In talks with at least one team on Syndergaard, #Mets only were seeking major-league talent that could help right away, sources tell The Athletic. Team is currently six games out in NL wild card race, trailing five teams.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2019
If that is the case, the Dodgers could make for good trade partners with the Mets. The Dodgers don’t necessarily need to add starting pitching before the deadline, but they have shown interest in both Syndergaard as well as Stroman before he was dealt.
The Dodgers have been one of the deeper teams in baseball over the last handful of years, always seeming to have an excess of Major League talent.
In addition to top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz, who likely could headline a potential blockbuster deal, the Dodgers could also offer the Mets players with Major League experience that can contribute right away such as Joc Pederson, Ross Stripling, Matt Beaty, Austin Barnes and Caleb Ferguson.
Bolstering their bullpen still remains the primary focus for the Dodgers before the deadline though, so it is hard to see them getting in a bidding war for a starting pitcher like Syndergaard, even if he would help replace the potential losses of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill, who are both free agents this winter.
