Significant trades between the New York Mets and Yankees are rare, but Zack Wheeler could be a rare exception.
All signs point to the New York Mets becoming sellers at the trade deadline. One of their most tradeable pieces is righty starter, Zack Wheeler. The crosstown Yankees are in need of starting pitching and Wheeler could fit what they need.
Although there is an unwritten rule that the Yankees and Mets don’t make significant trades with one another, Andy Martino of SNY is reporting that the Mets “would have no issues sending him across town, according to major league sources.”
Perhaps this is posturing on the part of the Mets. The Yankees are one of the teams who can offer the most for Wheeler and the Mets don’t want other teams knowing they won’t be part of the bidding war.
Furthermore, if the Yankees blow the Mets away with their offer, the Mets shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger out of fear of watching Wheeler win a World Series in pinstripes. The Mets shouldn’t be worrying out the Yankees. Instead, they should concern themselves with recouping the most value for Wheeler.
Entering Tuesday’s showdown against those very same Yankees who could be a natural fit for the righty, Wheeler’s ERA was a mediocre 4.51.
Although his traditional stats paint a grim picture, the advanced analytics suggest that he’s pitching much better than his ERA. Wheeler entered Thursday with a 3.77 FIP (fielding independent pitching). Moreover, he has the highest strikeout percentage and lowest walk percentage of his career.
The Yankees are known to embrace analytics and perhaps they feel like they can unlock the best version of Wheeler. Despite the fact that the Yankees are running away with the AL East, the starting rotation has been the biggest question mark. The lineup is filthy and the bullpen is lights out, but the rotation needs an upgrade.
Adding a capable arm like Wheeler could be exactly what the Yankees need to shore up their most glaring weakness.