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Minnesota Twins offseason trade partner profile: New York Mets

By Benjamin Chase

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 31: Mr. Met and Mrs. Met pose with fans at the Citi celebration of the start of the New York Mets season with the Let's Go Mets Fan Rally at Grand Central Terminal on March 31, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Citi)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 31: Mr. Met and Mrs. Met pose with fans at the Citi celebration of the start of the New York Mets season with the Let's Go Mets Fan Rally at Grand Central Terminal on March 31, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Citi) /
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The 2017-2018 offseason is here for the Minnesota Twins. Who could be their trade partners this offseason?

Now that the Minnesota Twins have entered the offseason, they are looking to improve the roster through trades and through free agent signings. In this series, we’ll look at how the Twins match up with teams in trade scenarios.

We will first cover the team’s 2017 and what they may be looking for this offseason and then look at whether the Twins could be a good fit for a possible trade this offseason. If there’s a fit, we’ll try to put together a feasible trade that would work for both sides. We will go alphabetically through the league, and today we will look at our first big apple team, the New York Mets…

Mets 2017

After two seasons making it into the playoffs and winning 177 games total, the Mets lost 92 games and finished 4th in their own division in 2017, only defeating the rebuilding Phillies in their division.

The Mets traded away a good chunk of their offense at mid-season, with 75 of the team’s 224 team home runs traded away during the season.

Outside of the players traded away, Michael Conforto and Wilmer Flores both had very positive seasons. Conforto split time between the corner outfield and first base, and in just 109 games and 440 plate appearances, he put up a .279/.384/.555 line with 27 home runs. Flores hit .271/.307/.488 over 110 games and 362 plate appearances with 18 home runs, spending most of his time at third base, but playing around the infield.

The Mets did get a chance to see their two top prospects, Ahmed Rosario and Dominic Smith, reach the major leagues in 2017. While their initial impressions weren’t great, both are elite future pieces of the org.

Injuries shorted the incredible young arms for the Mets in 2017. Jacob deGrom was the only starter to even go 120 innings. He had a 3.53 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and a 59/239 BB/K over 201 1/3 innings. Outside of deGrom, no Mets starter threw 35 innings and had an ERA under 4.70.

Noah Syndergaard did have exceptional numbers when he was healthy, but he made only 7 starts on the season. He posted a 2.97 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and a 3/34 BB/K over 30 1/3 innings.

The bullpen lost closer Jeurys Familia to injury for most of the season. While they traded away pieces at the deadline in general, they did acquire elite reliever A.J. Ramos from the Marlins in a mid-season deal after they traded away their closer on the season, Addison Reed, to the Red Sox.

Possible Trade Interest

Mets may want: 2B, 3B, relief pitching, veteran starting pitching, center fielder, leadoff hitter

Twins may want: A power bat for the DH position, starting pitching, relief pitching

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Trade proposals

With those needs how could the Twins and Mets match up? Here are three ideas:

Trade proposal #1: Twins trade IF Eduardo Escobar and OF Zack Granite to the Mets for RHP Marcos Molina and IF Mark Vientos. Vientos was one of my favorite players in the 2017 draft, and he can truly be a guy to jump up the system in a hurry in 2018 as the “prize” of this deal. However, moving a quality player like Escobar that could really solve a ton of needs for the Mets along with a guy like Granite should bring a high quality arm as well. Molina might be a swing-for-the-fences arm, especially paired with Vientos, but he’d be an excellent target for the Twins.

Trade proposal #2: Twins trade LHP Tyler Jay and RHP Jake Reed for IF Gregory Guerrero and RHP Gerson Bautista. The Twins would be giving up two near-ready bullpen arms for a high-ceiling young infielder and a high-velocity young arm that’s not gotten out of A-ball thus far.

Next: How Twins can spend international money

And now one far-flung one:

Trade proposal #3 Twins trade Brian Dozier to the Mets for LHP Thomas Szapucki, 1B Peter Alonso, and RHP Stephen Nogosek. The Mets are looking for someone to play 2B or 3B and leadoff. Dozier would offer both for them. With the new CBA and Dozier’s past two seasons, a team acquiring him is assured a first round selection, which does add some value for him as not every free agent now brings back a first round pick, even if offered a qualifying offer.

The price in prospects may mean the Twins kick in a prospect or two as well or that the Mets are assured an extension window before the deal is secured.

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