The New York Mets currently own the starting pitcher market at the trade deadline. The major question now is: where does Zack Wheeler go? The scouts say it is going to be Wheeler to the Houston Astros. However, those same scouts were caught off guard when the Mets landed Marcus Stroman on Sunday.
The Houston #Astros will come away with one more starter by Wednesday, and two GMs predict it will be Zack Wheeler from the #Mets
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 29, 2019
Wheeler seems like the logical pitcher to trade, but Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen is unpredictable. Wheeler had some tough luck which led to a 4.71 ERA, but that is not limiting the demand for his services.
What is the Astros Current Pitching Situation?
The Astros feature a dominant trio of Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Wade Miley. The rest of the rotation has given them little to nothing. Brad Peacock was a good fourth starter, but the quickest he will return is mid-August.
Constructing a Mets trade with the Astros involving Zack Wheeler #NYM https://t.co/SJplbdDnlp pic.twitter.com/JtLo3DV67O
— Mets Report (@mets_fanly) July 23, 2019
His replacements have not faired well. The Astros top three have combined for an ERA of 2.95, while every other starter outside of Peacock has an ERA of 6.37. Wheeler would fit in very well to the fourth starter spot and showed he can pitch like a Cy Young contender during the second half of 2018.
What Should the Mets Expect For Wheeler?
The Mets certainly will not land the likes of a top tier prospect like Forrest Whitley, but adding any of the pitchers in the middle of their top 30 list should be considered a fair trade. Van Wagenen has the leverage here, and if he does not like the return, he can simply keep Wheeler.
With Wheeler remaining in the rotation, it gives the Mets a very strong starting core. 28 of their final 57 games are against teams who are either in front of them in the division or wild card. If they can keep themselves close, they will be in control of their own destiny. Only six games out with two months to play, there is certainly a chance for the Mets to make a playoff push.