The New York Mets have already started revamping their roster for 2019 with a big trade, and they may not be done there. After adding Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the fold today, reports began to swirl about what the Mets may do next. The hottest rumor has surrounded the team’s interest in trading for Miami Marlins’ catcher J.T. Realmuto, with Tim Healey of Newsday reporting that the Mets and Marlins have discussed a deal for the backstop. The Marlins want at least one young major league player as the center piece of a trade, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets have made Brandon Nimmo available in a deal, although nothing is imminent since the Marlins have a lot of potential suitors for Realmuto.
Realmuto, who will turn 28 in March, batted .277 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI’s for the Marlins in 2018. The Mets are looking for a proven right handed bat and an upgrade over the platoon of Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki behind the plate, and Realmuto is the best option out on the market. The issue comes in how much the Mets can afford to part with from their farm system, especially after surrendering two top prospects in the Cano trade. Dealing Nimmo, who hit .263 with 17 homers and 47 RBI’s, also is problematic because it would leave the Mets with exactly one proven big league outfielder on the active roster in Michael Conforto.
This is where the Mets’ interest in Pollock is intriguing. During an interview with MLB Network’s Jim Bowden, Mets’ GM Brodie Van Wagenen indicated that he has already been in contact with Pollock’s agent and thinks that the 32 year old “fits really well” with the Mets’ needs. Pollock batted .257 with 21 homers and 65 RBI’s for Arizona last season, but he does have a lengthy injury history that is a concern in a long term deal. If the Mets do decide to part with Nimmo, however, adding Pollock would give them a quality big league outfielder right now to replace him.
These are just two of the names that the Mets have been linked to in recent days, and it just goes to show that this will be an eventful offseason for the Mets. Van Wagenen made it clear in an interview with SNY earlier in the day that he doesn’t want to be stuck hoping for the best in what if scenarios with his roster, instead preferring to add as many talented players as possible to ensure the team has depth. The Mets’ roster could certainly look a lot different in 2019, and that is probably a good thing considering this group has finished below .500 each of the past two years.
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