NY Mets should target these 7 players as MLB trade deadline approaches

The New York Mets' clubhouse could look dramatically different when they play their first game following the July 31 trade deadline.

David Stearns, the club's president of baseball operations, laid out the area of needs on Monday. The bullpen is the clear spot where reinforcements need to come, following season-ending injuries to A.J. Minter, Danny Young, Max Kranick and Dedniel Nuñez.

While it would be nice for the Mets to have a bonafide ace at the top of the rotation, Stearns said, "I think we have multiple pitchers on our staff right now in that grouping of five who can lead a staff into a playoff series. I'm confident that I'm comfortable with that."

Stearns says he is "pretty pleased" with his current position player grouping, while the bar has been raised to fill a looming need in center field, with Jeff McNeil being added to the mix in recent weeks.

The pool of "sellers" remains difficult to sort through, with just nine teams more than five games out of their respective Wild Card races entering Thursday's action.

With the Mets' bullpen as the apparent segment that will be upgraded, along with potentially center field, here are seven players the club should target:

Jhoan Duran, righty reliever, Twins

With the Twins sliding to four games under .500, they could be swayed to get what they can for their dynamic closer, who is under team control for another two seasons.

It would likely come at the steepest cost of any reliever, unless the Guardians make Emmanuel Clase available. Duran, a right-hander, would form a nasty 1-2 punch with Diaz. He boasts a triple-digit fastball and diabolical splitter that makes him one of the best groundball specialists in the league. He has a 1.94 ERA, 14 saves and 51 strikeouts in 46⅓ innings.

David Bednar, righty reliever, Pirates

It might be tough to pry away the right-hander Bednar, the Pittsburgh native who has two All-Star appearances playing for his hometown team, but the Pirates badly need offense, and that is something the Mets could provide.

Bednar stumbled early in the season, leading to a demotion, but has been dialed in since his return. In 39 appearances, he has posted a 186 ERA+ along with 15 saves, 1.11 WHIP and 48 strikeouts in 35 innings.

Gregory Soto, lefty reliever, Orioles

The Mets' need for a lefty has been cut down somewhat by the return and efficiency of Brooks Raley so far. But it couldn't hurt to have another southpaw to lighten the load out of the bullpen or in the playoffs.

Soto is a weapon against left-handed hitters, holding them to a .556 OPS while picking up 22 strikeouts in 57 at-bats. Soto, who has a 4.08 ERA and 1.33 WHIP, is on an expiring deal, another positive if he gets dealt.

Griffin Jax, righty reliever, Twins

There is a lot to like about Jax, who has struck out 68 batters in 44 innings for the Twins this season. With his sweeper and changeup as his most-used pitches, the righty has some of the best swing-and-miss stuff in the league, producing a 39 percent whiff rate and 40.7 percent chase rate.

Jax is also under team control for another two seasons, with a modest $2.365 million salary this season. He's also 30 years old, right in the heart of his prime.

Kyle Finnegan, righty reliever, Nationals

Finnegan has the ability to lock down games, pitching mostly to contact and producing a 46.8 percent groundball rate. For the Nationals this season, he has tallied 19 saves, but a rough stretch since the All-Star break has driven his ERA from 2.36 to 4.62.

The Mets and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner's crew have seemed to be able to draw the best out of pitchers and could lead him back to a productive high-leverage option. He's also on a one-year deal.

Andrew Kittredge, righty reliever, Orioles

Kittredge, who was an All-Star with the Rays in 2021, has flown under the radar with the Orioles this season but been rock solid in the middle innings.

After two strong seasons with the Rays and Cardinals, the 35-year-old veteran has a 109 ERA+ this season (3.62) while posting a strong 1.11 WHIP. He would be an experienced depth piece that could be relied on to shoulder some of the burden down the stretch.

Luis Robert Jr., outfielder, White Sox

Stearns alluded to the fact that the needle would need to be moved substantially to bring on a center fielder. This may or may not qualify, depending on the cost.

At his peak, Robert Jr. was a 38-home run, 80-RBI threat in 2023 with the White Sox but has not been able to replicate that production the last two seasons. After a slow start, he could be peaking at an opportune time. In the month of July, he is slashing .351/.441/.541 with two home runs, nine RBI, 10 runs and four stolen bases.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets at MLB trade deadline: 7 players they should target