MLB Insiders Link 'Best Catcher in Baseball' to New York Mets as Trade Deadline Target
LOS ANGELES - This would be one potential route for the New York Mets to upgrade their roster before the August 2 trade deadline.
Cubs catcher Willson Contreras is set to become a free agent after the season, and is playing for a rebuilding club in Chicago. As of this date, the All-Star backstop is a prime trade candidate as we inch towards the deadline.
Contreras, 30, has had an excellent season, slashing .275/.396/.519 with a .915 OPS, nine home runs and 22 RBIs in 45 games. He would also be the perfect fit for the Mets, who have received little-to-no offensive production from the catching position, which has been split between James McCann (IL for hand surgery), Tomas Nido and Patrick Mazeika this season. Contreras' is a bit of a downgrade defensively with -2 framing runs this year, which ranks 55th in baseball among catchers, per Baseball Savant, however, his pop could put an already solid lineup over the top.
Two MLB insiders are very high on Contreras' value, and believe he'd be an upgrade for several contenders, including the Mets.
The Athletic's Jim Bowden:
Willson Contreras is the Cubs’ most valuable trade piece and the best catcher expected to be dealt at the deadline. Chicago’s window to sign Contreras long term is dwindling, so trading him now to help its rebuild and then trying again to sign him in the offseason, when he reaches free agency, is probably the best strategy at this point. Contreras, 30, would be an all-around upgrade at catcher for several contending teams such as the Mets, Astros, Padres and Yankees.
ESPN's Jeff Passan:
Contreras has snatched the title of best catcher in baseball, and were someone to make gonna-get-dealt power rankings, he’d be No. 1. No other catcher’s weighted on-base average is within 40 points of Contreras’ -- and he hits the ball so hard consistently that his .900-plus OPS doesn’t look anomalous. Even with James McCann signed for two more years beyond this season, the Mets would be foolish not to inquire on Contreras. The Giants’ catching has been miserable. The Yankees, who have gone defense-first -- hell, almost -exclusive -- at the position would be thrilled to pencil Contreras in near the top of the lineup.
To Passan's point about McCann, Mets owner Steve Cohen has already proven he is willing to operate based off making a baseball decision, as opposed to letting financials get in the way. This was evident when he gave general manager Billy Eppler the green light to designate Robinson Cano for assignment on May 2, despite having to pay the second baseman/DH the remaining $37.6 million on his contract.
It's unlikely that the Mets would eat McCann's $20-plus million remaining on his deal, but they won't shy away from upgrading at the position if he does not turn things around at the plate. Right now, Contreras looks like that upgrade at the catching position if the Mets decide to go that route.
The previous regime struck a deal with the Cubs at the 2021 trade deadline, which sent Javier Baez to Queens for 2020 first-round pick Pete Crow-Armstrong. It's possible that they call up Chicago again this summer about their catcher.
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