The New York Mets are tied with the Chicago Cubs for the best record in the National League, entering play on Wednesday. The Mets look like a team that can make another deep run in October, but still have holes on the roster.
The Mets have gotten a .684 OPS from center field this season. Tyrone Taylor has seen most of the work there, but he is leaps and bounds better with his glove than with his bat. There should be plenty of outfielders available for the Mets at the deadline, but Talkin’ Baseball’s Jake Storiale predicted the Mets would trade for Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday’s episode of the “Talkin’ Baseball Podcast.”
“If I had to pick right now, I’d say the Mets,” Storiale said. “Steve (Cohen), roll the wallet out there. You have to pay him and you don’t have to give up a big price. He could potentially go nuts for three months.”
Robert signed a six-year, $50 million deal before ever making his debut. He has $20 million club options for the next two seasons. However, he has struggled this season and has a lengthy injury history.
In his lone healthy season, 2023, Robert was an All-Star and hit 38 home runs. This season, he has been healthy, but the results have not been there. He is slashing .190/.275/.305 on the year. He is more expensive than Taylor and does not look like an upgrade right now. However, his ceiling is higher, and the Mets may be willing to bank on his potential.
Since June 6, Robert has been playing better, perhaps indicating that he has turned a corner. He is slashing .265/.324/.412 since then.
