New York Mets

The New York Mets are looking to make a splash at this year's trade deadline, and that has led the club to making a call on one player that is viewed by many as being untouchable.

Mets general manager Billy Eppler has been in contact with the Los Angeles Angels about phenom Shohei Ohtani, according to Jim Bowden of CBS Sports. And while the Halos have maintained that they have no interest in moving him, they are still fielding calls.

The Mets have never been shy about pursuing star players. For example, the club signed star shortstop Francisco Lindor in April 2021 and also landed three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Eppler's interest, in particular, is not surprising as he served as general manager of the Angels from 2015 to 2020, signing Ohtani in 2017.

In addition, Eppler has a good relationship with Ohtani, per Bowden, and he would be interested in bringing the two-way star to New York at any point, whether it's before the Aug. 2 trade deadline or when he becomes a free agent after the 2023 season.

Reports about Ohtani's future in L.A. have grown in recent weeks as the Angels continue to struggle, dropping to fourth in the AL West with a 40-56 record, 23.5 games behind the first-place Houston Astros.

Bowden also mentioned Ohtani has a desire to win now and would be hesitant to re-sign with the Angels in 2023 unless they become legitimate World Series contenders. If he becomes a free agent, he'll likely be one of the most sought-after players in baseball history.

Ohtani is having another solid season despite the Angels' struggles, hitting .256/.346/.486 with 20 home runs, 57 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 93 games. He is also 9-5 on the mound with a 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 134 strikeouts in 93.1 innings across 16 starts.

If the Mets added Ohtani, they'd be among the World Series favorites this year as they already lead the NL East with a 59-37 record, two games ahead of the defending champion Atlanta Braves.

He'd join a star-studded rotation that includes Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and eventually Jacob deGrom, and would also give the team an added boost on offense at DH.

However, the Mets will face some tough competition for the Japanese superstar, who has already won an MVP, Silver Slugger award and is a two-time All-Star. Simply put, he won't come cheap.

The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have engaged in trade discussions that would send catcher Willson Contreras and reliever David Robertson to Flushing in exchange for multiple prospects, per Sports Illustrated's Pat Ragazzo.

However, the Mets are unwilling to include top prospects Francisco Alvarez and Brett Baty in a deal. Alvarez is the team's No. 1 prospect, while Baty is ranked as the team's No. 2 prospect.

An agreement between the Mets and Cubs was "not yet close" as of last weekend, per Ragazzo. New York is "committed" to acquiring Contreras, who "appears to be their current focus" ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

The Mets aren't necessarily in need of a catcher with Jared McCann and Tomas Nido behind the plate. However, Contreras could be an interesting option as the club's designated hitter alongside the newly acquired Daniel Vogelbach, who has been particularly bad against lefties this year, hitting .141/.267/.156 with seven RBI.

Contreras has actually hit lefties better than righties this year, and over his career, slashing .284/.398/.676 with seven home runs and 12 RBI. So, it's no surprise the Mets might be interested in pairing him with Vogelbach.

Overall, Contreras is batting .258/.374/.473 with 14 home runs and 37 RBI this season.

As for Robertson, he would be a welcomed addition in the bullpen as the Mets are currently down Trevor May, who was placed on the 60-day injured list in May with a stress reaction in his right humerus.

Robertson has had a solid 2022 season, posting a 1.83 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings across 35 games. Acquiring him would help stabilize New York's bullpen and help the franchise gear up for a potential battle for the NL East title.

The Mets currently sit atop the division with a 59-37 record, but the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves are just two games behind with a 58-40 record.

In addition to Contreras and Robertson, the Mets have also been linked to Baltimore Orioles veteran Trey Mancini and Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell in recent weeks.

Don't expect to see Josh Bell in a New York Mets uniform by the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Andy Martino of SNY reported Monday there is "no momentum in trade talks between the Mets and Washington Nationals" regarding the first baseman. Martino noted Bell would be a "redundancy" after New York acquired slugger Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.

Martino also pointed out New York is more likely to land other trade candidates such as Trey Mancini, C.J. Cron, Willson Contreras or perhaps even J.D. Martinez.

That the Mets would be in buying mode ahead of the deadline is no surprise.

They are in first place in the National League East at 59-37 with the opportunity to challenge for their first championship since 1986. The defending champion Atlanta Braves are just 1.5 games back, so any help the Mets can add could go a long way in the division race.

Yet it appears Bell will not be the one to provide that help.

The 2019 All-Star is slashing .305/.388/.496 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI this season for the Nationals after he launched 27 long balls a year ago. Power has never been a question for Bell, who hit a career-best 37 homers during his All-Star season with the Pirates.

However, the Mets added some power when they sent relief pitcher Colin Holderman to Pittsburgh for Vogelbach.

Vogelbach also made the 2019 All-Star Game with the Seattle Mariners and hit 30 home runs. He is slashing .229/.340/.429 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI in 76 games for the Pirates and Mets this season and provides pop on the left-hand side of the plate.

New York is 19th in the league in home runs with 93, so adding Vogelbach could improve one of its weaknesses as it pursues a playoff spot.

After five straight seasons of missing the playoffs, the New York Mets have returned to respectability this season. The Mets sit at 59-37 and atop the NL East, and as the August 2 trade deadline approaches, they are still trying to improve.

On Friday, the Mets acquired DH Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deal that included right-hander Colin Holderman.

On Sunday, Vogelbach got his first hit as a Met, and New York went on to defeat the San Diego Padres 8-5.

The addition of Vogelbach, who has 12 home runs and 34 RBI this season, adds some potency to a Mets lineup. New York may not be done, either. Not long before the Mets acquired Vogelback, they were linked to Washington Nationals first baseman/DH Josh Bell.

"Mets would like Josh Bell, while another league source says Astros pursuing him," Andy Martino of SNY tweeted.

The rumors of New York's interest in Bell continued after the Vogelbach trade, too.

"As sources tell me and Michael Marino, the Mets are one of several teams that have sent a trade offer to the Washington Nationals for first baseman/DH Josh Bell," Pat Ragazzo of FanNation wrote on Sunday. "The deal would see the Mets send an upper-level minor league starting pitcher and outfielder to Washington in exchange for Bell and a big-league relief pitcher."

While Ragazzo doesn't give specifics on the relief pitcher, bullpen depth is rarely a bad thing. More importantly, though, Bell would be a big offensive asset, even with Vogelbach on the roster.

The argument against adding Bell is this: doing so would leave New York with three positional first basemen in him, Vogelbach and All-Star Pete Alonso. That's a lot of talent at a single position.

Managing that talent could be tricky. However, it would also give manager Buck Showalter some intriguing options heading into the stretch run.

While Vogelbach is a fine slugger, his batting average of .229 isn't great. Bell (.302) is a more consistent hitter who also happens to bat both ways. With 13 home runs and 51 RBI, Bell doesn't sacrifice power for consistency, either. Having both would give Showalter options at DH and the opportunity to adjust to specific matchups.

It would also give New York the opportunity to give Alonso the occasional night off while keeping two productive bats in the order.

Adding Bell would further boost an offense that already ranks eighth in runs, which would be beneficial for a couple of reasons. One, it would help New York continue winning while pitchers Trevor May and Jacob deGrom rehab. Two, it would ensure that the Mets can go bat-for-bat against the league's best in the postseason.

It's been a relatively quick turnaround for the Mets, who just two years ago won a mere 26 games. They're now in the thick of the World Series race, but they're not going to run away with the division.

New York is just one-and-a-half games up on the defending champion Atlanta Braves. The Mets should have no interest in getting into the postseason as a wild card.

It only makes sense to go all-in at the trade deadline.

Other teams will be doing the same, and some of them—Martino mentioned the Houston Astros—undoubtedly have one eye on Bell. New York should be inclined to make a strong push for him now before the opportunity to add another force at the plate passes.

The New York Mets pursuit of a designated hitter has led them to engage in trade discussions with the Pittsburgh Pirates for slugger Daniel Vogelbach, according to SNY's Andy Martino.

New York is "working to trade" Dominic Smith and would look to also move J.D. Davis if it can land Vogelbach, per Martino.

Martino also noted the Colorado Rockies' C.J. Cron and the Washington Nationals' Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz are also targets for New York.

Vogelbach has flourished against right-handed pitching this season, posting a .260/.365/.532 slash line with 12 home runs, 27 RBI and 29 walks in 68 games. However, he has struggled against lefties, hitting just .141/.267/.156 with seven RBI and 11 walks.

The 29-year-old would still be an upgrade over Smith and Davis, even if he only plays against righties.

Smith has appeared in 58 games this season, and his splits against both righties and lefties aren't great. Overall, he's hitting .194/.276/.284 with no home runs, 17 RBI and 12 walks.

Davis has been a little better, slashing .234/.325/.345 with three home runs, 19 RBI, one stolen base and 20 walks in 62 games. However, the Mets just haven't gotten enough out of him this year.

Vogelbach has been in MLB since 2016. He played for the Seattle Mariners from 2016 up until the 2020 season, when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays and later the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Florida native spent the 2021 season in Milwaukee before joining the Pirates for the 2022 campaign. He has a $1.5 million team option for the 2023 campaign.

The Pirates are third in the NL Central with a 39-54 record, 11 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers, and are expected to be sellers at this year's deadline. Realistically, the Mets shouldn't have to give up too much to land Vogelbach.

The Mets are first in the NL East with a 58-35 record, 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Atlanta Braves. Adding a slugger like Vogelbach would help the club hold off a potential late-season push by the defending World Series champions.

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom suffered a setback in his recovery from his shoulder injury.

According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, deGrom experienced "mild muscle soreness around his shoulder" on Sunday, which led the Mets to push back his simulated game that was scheduled for Thursday. deGrom had played catch on Monday and Tuesday without any issues, but the team still felt the need to delay his return to the mound "out of an abundance of caution."

DiComo added that the Mets might have to wait until August for deGrom to return.

DeGrom was limited to just 15 starts in 2021 and hasn't played since July 2021 due to a number of ailments, including forearm and elbow issues. More recently, he has been dealing with a stress reaction in his right shoulder.

When healthy, the 34-year-old is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He went 7-2 last season with a 1.08 ERA, .554 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings.

With the four-time All-Star sidelined, the Mets have relied on offseason additions Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt, in addition to Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and David Peterson. New York's pitching staff has combined for a 3.61 ERA this season, the sixth-best in baseball.

Even without deGrom, the Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball. They sit first in the NL East with a 58-35 record.

Jacob deGrom hasn't thrown an MLB pitch in a calendar year, but teams are reportedly already considering pursuing him in free agency.

Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported deGrom "could tempt another team to offer a contract above what the Mets consider rational" if he comes back firing on all cylinders.

The four-time Cy Young winner has a player option in his contract for next season and has confirmed multiple times that he plans to opt out to become a free agent. Circumstances can change, but barring an injury, it feels almost certain deGrom will hit the open market this winter.

Injuries have plagued deGrom over the past two seasons, limiting him to 15 starts in 2021 and holding him out the entire 2022 campaign thus far. He made his return to the mound last week in a rehab start, striking out five of the six hitters he faced while averaging 99 miles per hour on his fastball.

"He's hit every benchmark, and we're happy with that," Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters. "We'll see how he does on Sunday, and we'll see if there's any adjustments to the schedule we have that need to be made. We know where it could take us."

When healthy, deGrom remains among the best pitchers in baseball. He was 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA and 0.55 WHIP before being shut down last July.

If deGrom returns to his former form in the big leagues, he'll have no shortage of suitors—injury concerns or not. Buster Olney of ESPN reported the rival Atlanta Braves are considered the favorites to sign deGrom if he hits free agency.