MLB Trade Deadline Recap: New York Mets

Now that the non-waiver deadline has passed, we’re taking a look back at what each team was able to accomplish before 4 p.m. ET on July 31. Next up in our recap series, the New York Mets.

New York Mets (49-60), 16.5 GB in NL East, 13 GB in NL Wild Card

ACQUIRED: RHP A.J. Ramos (from MIA), RHP Stephen Nogosek (from BOS), RHP Jamie Callahan (from BOS), RHP Gerson Bautista (from BOS), RHP Drew Smith (from TB)

TRADED: RHP Addison Reed (to BOS), 1B Lucas Duda (to TB), RHP Merandy Gonzalez (to MIA), OF Ricardo Cespedes (to MIA)

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With their season already having been lost after falling way out of contention in both the division and the wild card, the Mets wound up becoming a team looking to retool for 2018 at the deadline. After all, most of their key stars either spent a great amount of time on the disabled list or had struggled in first half. As a result, they made three trades involving four players, including reliever Addison Reed and first baseman Lucas Duda.

Of their three deals, their deal with the Marlins was their best one, as they acquired closer A.J. Ramos in exchange for prospects Merandy Gonzalez and Ricardo Cespedes. The 30-year-old Ramos is under control for next season, giving New York a bullpen that they hope can do damage along with their young core of starters (Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz), which they hope will be healthy enough to help the club get back to the World Series after it reached the series in 2015. Ramos will pitch in a bullpen that will also feature closer Jeurys Familia and Jerry Blevins.

By dealing Duda to the Rays on July 27 and Reed to the Red Sox on July 31, the Mets received four reliever prospects in Stephen Nogosek, Jamie Callahan, Drew Smith and Gerson Bautista, with Nogosek, Callahan and Smith now ranked in the top 30 in their entire system, according to MLBPipeline.com. Reed is a free agent after this season, so the addition of Ramos provided an immediate replacement at the back-end of the pen.

The Mets didn’t look into other needs such as shortstop, first base and third base because they had younger guys waiting in the wings at two of the three positions. They promoted their top prospect in Amed Rosario, who now mans shortstop, and they have No. 2 prospect Dominic Smith waiting to be called up to play first. As for third, they shifted Asdrubal Cabrera from short to fill that position plus have veteran Jose Reyes there as a backup. Cabrera was considered a trade candidate but New York decided to hold him as a potential option to play third next season.

However, the Mets did decide to put Ramos, Cabrera, outfielders Yoenis Cespedes, Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, and second baseman Neil Walker on waivers. All six players cleared waivers, so they are eligible to be traded to any team. Out of the six, Bruce and Granderson are the most likely players the Mets will try to move since they are free agents after the season.

For a complete list of our trade deadline recaps, click here.