3 Mets MLB trade deadline mistakes David Stearns will regret

The New York Mets completely turned their season around, going from as many as 11 games under .500 to a team that as of this writing is just 0.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the NL.

The Mets have been one of, if not the best team in the majors since the start of June, and thanks to their miraculous run, were buyers at this year's trade deadline. Not only did that mean that players on expiring contracts like Pete Alonso and Luis Severino would stay put, but it meant that the Mets would actively attempt to improve their team.

David Stearns accomplished the job of improving the team, and he did so without parting with any major prospects. As impressive as that might be, the Mets could've and arguably should've done more. There's a chance that when looking back at this past deadline, Stearns will have some regrets.

3) The Mets will regret not using their financial strength to their advantage

The biggest strength that this New York Mets team has is having Steve Cohen as the owner. Cohen has proven time and time again that he's willing to do whatever it takes to win. The Mets have had ridiculous payrolls for years and even this season in which expectations were lower, the Mets had the highest payroll in the league.

We saw the Mets flex their financial muscles at last year's trade deadline, eating part of Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer's contract to get themselves a better prospect return. We even saw that in the middle of this season when the Mets acquired Phil Maton for nothing more than cash or a player to be named later because the Rays wanted to get off of his salary.

The Mets could've found a way to flex their financial muscles at this year's deadline as well. Taking on the remainder of Javier Baez's contract to steal Tarik Skubal from the Tigers never seemed very realistic, but the Mets could've made a trade for Blake Snell. No, the Giants didn't want to trade him, but what if the Mets gave them a decent enough package and took on the entirety of his contract?

The Mets made several moves, but none of them really took advantage of other teams looking to clear money. While this isn't the end of the world, the Mets could've made their team even better had they taken on more money.

2) The Mets will regret not adding a left-handed reliever

Something Stearns deserves immense credit for is improving a bullpen that has struggled immensely at times this season. Of the eight relievers who made the Opening Day roster, only Edwin Diaz and Adam Ottavino remain, and Ottavino's job security is likely on thin ice with how he has pitched for much of the season.

Whether it's by DFA'ing players who haven't performed like Jake Diekman and Adrian Houser or by acquiring arms such as Phil Maton, Huascar Brazoban, and Ryne Stanek in trades, the Mets bullpen looks as good now as it has in a long while, and it'll only look better when guys like Reed Garrett, Sean Reid-Foley, and Dedniel Nunez return.

While it certainly is better, there's one clear weakness. The Mets don't have a single trustworthy left-handed reliever. They entered the season looking set in that regard, but Brooks Raley suffered a season-ending injury early on, and Diekman struggled to the point where he was recently DFA'd. Now, Alex and Danny Young are their left-handed relievers.

Both of those options have exceeded expectations, but do you really want to give them the ball against left-handed sluggers like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Matt Olson in a big game? The Mets didn't even have to go out and trade a haul for Tanner Scott, they could've gotten someone like Andrew Chafin to fill that void.

1) The Mets will regret settling for mediocrity in their starting rotation

The Mets were dealt devastating news before the deadline with Kodai Senga, the team's ace, suffering an injury that would likely end his regular season. As frustrating as that was, one silver lining to come from that injury was that it happened before the deadline, giving the Mets the opportunity to address their rotation.

They did just that, but all they did was trade for Paul Blackburn. While yes, Blackburn is an upgrade over the likes of Tylor Megill and David Peterson and is under club control for another full season after this one, he's a back-end starter. The Mets simply needed more than that after losing Senga.

As of now, their postseason rotation would likely include Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, and Blackburn. If Senga does not return this season, that'd almost certainly be the worst postseason rotation in the National League, and that's if the Mets can even fend off the competition that improved around them.

The Mets trading an enormous haul for Garrett Crochet was never realistic, and Jack Flaherty's medicals might've scared them away, but could they not have topped what the White Sox wound up getting for Erick Fedde?

At the end of the day, Blackburn is an upgrade which should be recognized, but he doesn't have much of a ceiling at all above what he already is. An argument can be made that the Mets don't have a single No. 1 or No. 2 starter right now, which could come back to haunt them in October if they even make it to the postseason.