The NY Mets made a trade ahead of the MLB trading deadline, acquiring Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Atlanta Braves for prospects John Gant and Rob Whalen to help add some offense to the lineup and New York also could be shopping Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero heading into July 31 if they target Ben Zobrist with the Oakland Athletics.
The Mets have been looking to add offense heading into the deadline, as the lineup has been anemic this month. The team called up 2014 first round pick Michael Conforto on Friday to help give the team a spark following Michael Cuddyer being placed on the DL and he had an RBI in his first at-bat. The Dodgers shutout the Mets on Thursday night and the team pulled off the trade with the Braves on Friday afternoon and it will be official later on Friday night, according to Adam Rubin at ESPN New York.
Jon Heyman at CBS, Jim Bowden at ESPN and Joel Sherman at the New York Post all reported on the deal and now Uribe and Johnson give the Mets some upgrades. The team has not been getting much offensive support from the middle of the lineup or at third base with David Wright out and now Uribe can step in. Hardball Talk writes that Johnson and Uribe are "above average hitters" and right now that's exactly what the Mets need.
Uribe can play third base for the team and also has experience at second base, while Johnson can play first base and both outfield positions. The Mets have wanted to get more production from the outfield and on the left side of the infield and now they have some better options in the lineup. The team is averaging just under 3.5 runs per game and that is ranked last in the National League. Uribe has put up seven home runs since getting traded from the Dodgers to the Braves and he is a good hitter against left-handed pitching.
Johnson can play in the infield and the outfield for the Mets and can be a solid bench option and he comes in hitting .275 with nine home runs and over 30 RBI this season. The Braves are rebuilding and they flipped two veterans for some young players. Gant comes in with a 3.52 ERA during his 100 innings of work in the minors this year, while Whalen has a 3.36 ERA in Single-A ball. The Mets have also reportedly had interested in Ben Zobrist this season.
The Mets reportedly are shopping Zack Wheeler in trade talks as the deadline approaches, while Rafael Montero also could be an option even though he is on the 60-day DL. According to the New York Daily News, sources reported that the Mets have "talked about" Wheeler in "trade discussions," including with the Reds, but there is "nothing going on" currently. Wheeler will be out with Tommy John surgery, but he is considered one of the best prospects in baseball. The Reds have Jay Bruce and the NYDN reports the Mets are scouting the Reds on Friday night.
Check here for more on the New York Mets trade news and the deal with Johnson and Uribe.
