Zack Wheeler
AP Photo/Adam Hunger

The New York Mets are thinking about getting creative this trade deadline in order to maximize their return.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the New York Mets may package Edwin Diaz and Zack Wheeler in a deadline move.

Diaz, in his first year with the Mets after being involved in the Jarred Kelenic trade, has struggled to the tune of a 4.81 ERA and 1.449 WHIP in 39.1 innings.

He is, however, just 25 years old, under team control through 2022, and posted 3.2 bWAR in 73.1 innings for the Seattle Mariners in 2018.

Wheeler, a pending free agent, has not been as good as he was in 2018, but has been relatively solid across the board. Through 20 starts, he is 7-6 with a 4.71 ERA and 1.271 WHIP in 124.1 innings.

In his most recent start, Wheeler held the Pittsburgh Pirates to three runs in 5.1 innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven.

Most encouraging regarding Wheeler has been his uptick in versatility. After being plagued by injuries in his first four years in the league, he made 29 starts last season and is on pace to make 31 this year.

This is an interesting idea, but there are some flaws with it.

Per Matt Ehalt of Yahoo, scouts from six teams were in attendance for Wheeler’s victory over the Pirates on Friday.

One of the better right-handed arms on the market, Wheeler will likely fetch a prospect that ranks inside the top-25 of a team’s system.

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that the Mets should not worry about selling low on Diaz because teams think so highly of his pure stuff.

Due to the markets that these two have individually, it seems like the best way for the Mets to get the best possible return would be to deal them separately.

Time will tell.

A 2018 graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been covering the New York Mets for ESNY since 2019. In addition to his work here, he covers Michigan football recruiting for FanSided and NASCAR for CATCHFENCE. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.