The Mets are looking like sellers at the deadline.
Most believe the best asset the Mets have to trade is Zack Wheeler. He is, by far, the most attractive rental the Mets have. He is also likely the best SP that will be available on the trade market this month.
While this is true, the Mets could quickly change that.
If Wheeler is open to an extension, perhaps it is best to sign him to one. This move would solidify the starting rotation and provide them with another trade chip: Noah Syndergaard.
On the surface, this looks like a step back. However, it makes sense on a few different levels.
First, Syndergaard is not a rental. He has another couple years until he hits free agency. This means the return for him will likely be better than for Wheeler. This past Winter, the Mets were open to listening to offers on Syndergaard so this is not new territory according to their thinking. It is possible that part of the returning package is a near major league ready starting pitcher.
The second issue deals with injury history. Wheeler missed two seasons with Tommy John Surgery. That set him back since his first season back was limited.
Again, on the surface this looks bad. However, Wheeler is turning out to be reliable at taking the ball every 5th day. Syndergaard, on the other hand, is showing himself to be injury prone. He just missed a couple starts due to a hamstring issue. Each season, he keeps finding the injured list with a variety of ailments.
The case can still be made that Syndergaard could be one of the top 5 pitchers in the game. To achieve that, he needs to make 30 starts a year, something that eluded him. With Wheeler showing himself to be dependable, it might be wise to direct the financial resources towards him and use Syndergaard to get much needed pieces back.
It carries a bit more risk but the payoff the for the Mets could be much greater.