Going for it? 5 trades Mets could make to break the deadline dam wide open

The New York Mets won yet again on Thursday in dramatic fashion, defeating the Atlanta Braves on an unlikely walk-off to improve to a season-high six games over .500. Not only do they have sole possession of the second Wild Card spot in the NL as of this writing, but they're just 0.5 games back of those same Braves who hold the top Wild Card spot with three more games between the two NL East rivals coming up.

The Mets being squarely in postseason contention has made them likely trade deadline buyers for a while now, but the question has always been how far would they be willing to go. Would the Mets make minor moves just to act as if they care about this season or would they be willing to make any move possible to win the World Series? The latest reporting from Andy Martino of SNY appears to suggest the latter.

One message he got from a rival executive said that the Mets are "going for it." That's big news. The Mets appear willing to do whatever they can to try and win right now, and it's hard to blame them. They've been one of, if not the best team in baseball since the calendar turned to June.

If the Mets are truly "going for it", here are five players they can realistically target to help them a ton.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

5. Taking on the remainder of Javy Baez's contract to acquire Tarik Skubal would be the epitome of "going for it"

Let's get this out in the open. If the Detroit Tigers trade Tarik Skubal (and they shouldn't), they should not include Javier Baez in any proposal. Including Baez and the remainder of the massive six-year deal he signed ahead of the 2022 campaign would impact the return in a major way. Doing that when trading arguably the best pitcher in the game right now should be a non-starter.

With that being said, if the Tigers were to entertain it, is there a team more equipped than the Mets to be their trade partners? Steve Cohen, as we've all seen, is willing to spend stupid amounts of money to try and win. Taking on Javy Baez if it means that the Mets get 2.5 guaranteed years of Skubal would be the ultimate proof that they're all-in.

Is it likely? Absolutely not, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. We saw the Red Sox attach David Price to the Mookie Betts trade and take less back in return as a result. There is precedent. The Mets don't have Jackson Holliday to wave at the Tigers, but they do have a solid farm system with enough to get a deal done if they take the Baez contract.

Taking on the back half of a ridiculous contract just to get your hands on Skubal would be the ultimate "going for it" move.

4. The Mets should be looking to acquire an outfielder with Starling Marte out

When healthy, the Mets' starting outfield trio consisting of Brandon Nimmo, Harrison Bader, and Starling Marte is more than capable, and Tyrone Taylor being the fourth outfielder is solid too. Unfortunately, they're not healthy now with Marte on the IL without a clear timetable for his return.

The Mets offense has been as dynamic as any in the league even without Marte, but his injury is one that hurts. Marte wasn't providing much defensive value but he has a 114 OPS+ this season and has stolen 12 bases without getting caught. He's nowhere near the player he once was but is still an important piece to this team, and there being no timetable for his return makes it imperative that the Mets add an outfielder.

During virtually this entire stretch, the Mets have been carrying two left-handed bats with virtually the same skill sets in DJ Stewart and Ben Gamel. Yes, they've been winning, but Stewart is hitting .177 and has one home run since May 1 while Gamel is just 1-for-9 in the majors. Neither should be on the roster when Marte is healthy, and they should part with at least one of them by the deadline.

Taylor has played pretty well at times this season but has just a .495 OPS against left-handed pitching, making him a part-time player at best. Improving the bench is a relatively easy thing to do, but giving up a prospect to get an impactful bench piece who can start with Marte out would go a long way toward proving that the Mets are serious about this season.

It doesn't have to be a big name, but just land some sort of upgrade over Gamel and Stewart, please.

3. The Mets rotation would benefit greatly by adding a pitcher of Jack Flaherty's caliber

All things considered, the Mets have gotten more out of their starting rotation than they could've hoped for. Their 4.22 rotation ERA is 17th in the majors, which isn't the worst thing in the world when considering the fact that their ace, Kodai Senga, has been out for the entire season.

There's good news on that front with Senga returning to action for Friday's game against the Braves, but if the Mets make it to the postseason, their rotation would be among the worst of the teams to get in. Their four-man rotation would likely include Senga, Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and Jose Quintana. Not the best. Adding a guy like Jack Flaherty would make it much better.

The biggest red flag with Flaherty is that he's a rental. He could depart as a free agent after just a couple of months, and if the Mets fall short in the postseason or fail to make it, trading for him might not look great.

While that's definitely something to consider, Flaherty has had an awesome year for the Detroit Tigers, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts and 106.2 innings of work. He has 133 strikeouts while issuing just 19 walks. He has been electric and would give the Mets another legit front-end guy to pair alongside Senga.

Even with his rental status, Flaherty is going to cost a ton. The Mets would have to part with good prospects to get him. They'd certainly trade prospects for the right starting pitcher with team control, but would they do so for a rental? That will show just how much they're "going for it."

2. The Mets should be major players in the Carlos Estevez sweepstakes

The Mets could flex their financial muscles and should also look to improve their roster however they can, but the No. 1 need for this team that they absolutely must address is the bullpen. The Mets bullpen ranks 27th in the majors with a 4.55 ERA since May 1. They've blown several winnable games thanks to the bullpen.

Season-ending injuries to Brooks Raley and Drew Smith certainly haven't helped their cause at all. Neither have injuries to Reed Garrett, Sean Reid-Foley and now Dedniel Nunez all suffered within the last month. Their bullpen lacks reliability, and would really benefit from acquiring Carlos Estevez in a deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

He has the misfortune of pitching for one of the worst teams in the American League, but Estevez has a 2.38 ERA in 34 appearances this season, converting 20 of his 23 save opportunities. What makes him an especially good fit for this Mets bullpen in particular is the fact that he has issued just five walks all season.

The biggest issue for the Mets bullpen and really their entire pitching staff this season has been limiting walks. The Mets have walked the most batters in the majors as of this writing, and their bullpen ranks second in the National League in that category.

After seeing the reliever market explode early on, will the Mets be willing to overpay not only for a reliever but for a rental reliever? Estevez would make them much better, but he could be gone in a matter of months.

1. Acquiring Tanner Scott would give the Mets a lockdown reliever that they desperately need

A trade for Tanner Scott would be the kind of move the Mets would make to prove that they're all in on this season, and this season alone. The southpaw has been one of the best relievers in baseball for the last couple of years with the Miami Marlins, and is certainly going to be the best reliever dealt at this year's deadline.

His numbers are off the charts. He has a 1.21 ERA in 43 appearances and 44.2 innings of work, converting 18 of his 20 save opportunities. Walks can be an issue at times, but he has allowed just two home runs all season and has held the opposition to a .123 batting average. In other words, he's virtually impossible to square up and has been for quite some time.

The Mets bullpen needs a primary left-handed reliever. Scott checks that box. They could use some Edwin Diaz insurance late in games if his up-and-down season continues. Scott checks that box. The icing on the cake is that the 30-year-old has six appearances in which he has recorded more than three outs in an outing including a pair of two-inning saves (one of which came against the Mets).

The Mets can be as creative as they'd like with Scott who'd give them an extremely versatile weapon out of their 'pen while also taking away a prime option from other competing teams. There are a couple of reasons why this would be an all-in type of move, though.

First, there's the rental factor. Would the Mets give a ton to get a player who could be gone in a couple of months? Second, there's the intra-division factor. Would the Mets be willing to cough up some exciting prospects to a team within their division? That might hurt them in the future, but can give them a much better shot at winning right now.