LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 06: Josh Bell #24 of the San Diego Padres reacts to his strikeout during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The New York Mets are lucky that they didn’t trade for some of the players they were rumored to be interested in before the trade deadline.
The New York Mets were among many playoff contenders that made additions to their team at the trade deadline. They added first baseman/DH Daniel Vogelbach from the Pirates, outfielder Tyler Naquin from the Reds, first baseman/outfielder/DH Darin Ruf from the Giants, and reliever Mychal Givens from the Cubs.
Overall, they have received a mixed bag. Ruf and Givens have struggled with the Mets, but both Vogelbach and Naquin have played very well. There are three targets that the Mets had before the trade deadline that they didn’t trade for and have not played well recently for their new team or team that decided to keep them.
Here are three trade deadline moves the Mets are lucky they didn’t make.
New York Mets: 3 trade deadline moves they are lucky they didn’t make
1) Trade for Josh Bell
The Mets were rumored to be talking with the Washington Nationals for first baseman/DH Josh Bell but, instead, the Mets when with the aforementioned Vogelbach. The Nationals pivoted as well, as they traded Bell to the San Diego Padres along with outfielder Juan Soto.
When the Nationals had Bell, he should have been an All-Star. He was hitting .301/.384/.493 with 14 home runs, 57 RBI, 24 doubles, and an OPS+ of 152 in 103 games. With the Padres, he has played in 18 games (entering Tuesday) and he has been terrible.
He is hitting .138/.263/.262 with two home runs, five RBI, two doubles, and an OPS+ of 54. From 52 percent above league average to 46 percent below league average: not exactly what the Mets would want for their stretch run, especially since he is a rental.
