5 potential trade suitors for Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado

Simply put, the Mets can’t be ruled out on anyone this offseason as new owner Steve Cohen pushes to reinvent the organization and compete in a deep NL East. Already ready to spend, at least in theory, second baseman Robinson Cano’s season-long PED suspension takes $24 million off the Mets’ books for 2021.

Third base isn’t necessarily an obvious need for the Mets. But it’s easy to put them in the mix for Kris Bryant among (and atop?) a list of potential big trades they could make this offseason. Arenado is arguably a better player than Bryant, and certainly a superior defensive player.

Arenado has the expected Coors Field-aided home/road batting splits for his career. But that is easily overplayed in his case, as what he has proven capable of doing plays anywhere.

If Arenado is willing to move his opt-out ability out a year or two, that will be more palatable for teams looking to trade for him while they still wouldn’t have to be locked in to the full remainder of his contract. If it means getting out of Denver and moving to an organization that is openly going to try to win, like the Mets, Arenado seems sure to be agreeable to committing for longer than one more year.