The New York Mets (29-23) are tied for the NL East lead with the Washington Nationals despite dealing with countless injuries just two months into the 2015 MLB season. The back end of their bullpen could use some fortification and one of the league's top closers could be made available at the trade deadline.
Cincinnati Reds' closer Aroldis Chapman is 3-3 with a 1.61 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 9 saves and 38 strikeouts in 23 games (22 1/3 innings) so far this season, but his team sits 10 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central with a 22-27 record. They're six games behind the third-place Pittsburgh Pirates.
As the trade deadline approaches the Reds may opt to entertain conversations involving Chapman because the left-hander won't be of much use to them if they aren't competing for a playoff spot. He's owed $8 million this season and will get a raise in 2016 when he enters his third and final offseason as an arbitration-eligible player. Also, the Reds could probably get good value for him because he's signed through 2016 and wouldn't merely be a rental for 2015.
Paul Daugherty of the Cincinnati Enquirer doesn't specifically mention Chapman, but he says the Reds are headed for a fire sale if the current state of affairs persists.
One would only imagine Chapman is one of the first go if general manager Walt Jocketty decides to break it up.
"Next year is Aroldis Chapman's contract year. Doesn't make much sense to keep [Johnny] Cueto if you're not contending down the stretch. And without Cueto for 2016, it's tougher to see Chapman belonging. Contention-wise, the Reds aren't in a good position. But trade-wise, they've got some power," writes Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs.
"Other teams are salivating over the possibility Aroldis Chapman possibly being available at the deadline," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "'Most days he's unhittable,' says an AL scout."
This is where the Mets come in. Their bullpen has been among the best in the MLB with a 2.73 ERA (ranked sixth), but continuity in the ninth inning remains and important topic of conversation. Their closer from 2013, Bobby Parnell, is on a rehab assignment as he recovers from Tommy John surgery; their closer from last season, Jenrry Mejia, was suspended for the first 80 games of 2015 because of PED use; their current closer, Jeurys Familia, has only 21 career saves despite being one of the league's best this season; reliever Vic Black is currently on a rehab assignment as he recovers from a shoulder/neck injury; left-hander Jerry Blevins fractured his forearm and has been out since April; and Josh Edgin is missing this entire season because of TJ surgery.
"They imagined a power righty quartet of Jeurys Familia, Jenrry Mejia, Vic Black and Bobby Parnell being joined by the late-spring lefty acquisitions, Jerry Blevins and Alex Torres. But only Familia and Torres have remained available to the Mets during the first quarter of this season," writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
"There is a lot of fragility here. Parnell's fastball has not yet returned to its pre-Tommy John surgery heights. Black must prove he can stay healthy and consistent. And Mejia will have to show he was not a lab creation. Familia has done wonderfully stepping in as the closer. But he has no history of doing that for a full season."
The Mets have not been linked to Chapman. In fact, the left-hander has not been really mentioned in trade rumors as often as one might think. Nonetheless, Sherman makes a case for New York to trade for him if the Reds decide to sell.
Here are his reasons why:
"In Chapman and Jeurys Familia, the Mets would have a lefty-righty power duo akin to what the Yankees have with Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.
"At a time when the Mets are going to a six-man rotation to protect their starters, here is even a better way to not push the rotation - by assuring the last six to nine outs are elite.
"If they were to get to the playoffs, the Mets would be scary in a short series with power arms (Matt Harvey, Jake deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and maybe Steve Matz starting, and Chapman, Familia and maybe Matz finishing)."
It's unknown what the Reds will request in exchange for Chapman because we are ways away from that happening, if it even does. But as the Mets look to do all they can to make the postseason with their young up-and-coming club, it's hard to believe general manager Sandy Alderson will stand pat at the trade deadline if something opportunistic presents itself.
Chapman would help the Mets in more ways than one and it could become a reality for New York if the anchor of the bullpen isn't sorted out by late July.
