Mets linked to 6 different starting pitchers in new trade rumor

4 days ago 1

Mets linked to 6 different starting pitchers in new trade rumor originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

All along, it's been assumed the New York Mets would sign one of the big-name free agent pitchers.

That may not be the case anymore. A trade could be in the works.

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported that the Mets are focused on the trade market before any free agent pitching thoughts.

"The Mets hold some interest in the top remaining free-agent starters, including (Framber) Valdez, but their focus is on first exploring trades, league sources said," The Athletic wrote. "As of early Tuesday, no deal appeared imminent and people familiar with the discussions cautioned that things are slow."

They go on to name six pitchers that would be "conceivable options" for the Mets:

Tarik Skubal (Tigers)
Freddy Peralta (Brewers)
MacKenzie Gore (Nationals)
Edward Cabrera (Marlins)
Kris Bubic (Royals)
Brady Singer (Reds)

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Obviously, the costs would differ on a few of those guys versus the others. But the Mets have a lot of assets.

"The Mets boast one of the top farm systems," The Athletic writes. "They are also open to dealing infielders Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña."

It'd certainly be exciting if the Mets made a trade for a key starting pitcher. It's definitely a position of need for them, so something has to get done.