Don’t let these wins against the horrendous Phillies fool you.
Yes, the Mets are making progress, there is light at the end of the tunnel, but the need for a big outfield bat is still out there. Chris Young remains a complete bust.
Lucas Duda is a much different hitter now that he has become more aggressive early in the count. He has finally made that key adjustment and the dividends are huge.
Travis d’Arnaud continues to mash the ball since coming back from Triple-A. Daniel Murphy is the only Met close to hitting .300 and Wednesday he lifted a three-run home run in the Mets’ 11-2 wipeout of the Phillies at Citi Field. Duda crushed his 19th home run.
With the non-waiver trade deadline coming Thursday at 4 p.m., the Mets could really make it interesting if they acquire a hard-hitting outfielder.
Why not think big? Why not dream a little?
There is such an outfielder out there on the West Coast, who it turns out does not love LA.
Matt Kemp would be moved by the Dodgers if the price were right, and, yes, the price is always an issue with the Mets. Kemp is owed $107 million over the next five years.
Kemp would be a great fit for the Yankees, too, if they wanted to go there.
Yes, Kemp has had his issues, but stick him in the outfield and suddenly the Mets look a lot more ferocious. Kemp has a strong relationship with Mets manager Terry Collins. With the Mets’ young pitchers only going to get more plentiful next season with Noah Syndergaard breaking through and Matt Harvey bouncing back, a player like Kemp would be a huge addition to this team and that would really make things fascinating around here.
If not now, certainly in the winter this would be a deal worth pursuing for Sandy Alderson & Co. On Monday, Alderson said the Mets could not afford another $20 million-a-year player.
The Mets GM pointed to the fact: “We’ve got a 20 and 15,’’ referring to the salaries of David Wright and Curtis Granderson.
He was asked: What about $20 (million), $20 (million) and $15 (million)?
Alderson, always ready with a quip about Mets’ finances, answered: “20, 20, 15 and what, 22 dwarfs?’’
Think big, Mets.
If the Mets make the same mistake they did last offseason, trying to sign an outfielder on the cheap in Young, it’s just another waste of $7.25 million.
Kemp is having a solid season, despite all the drama in Los Angeles. He was batting .282 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs entering Wednesday. In July, he was hitting .311 with a .400 on-base percentage.
He is motivated to succeed because he is not happy with how the Dodgers have handled him this season. He likes the spotlight. New York would be a great fit for him.
But the Mets would have to loosen the purse strings.
“If something like that could get done,’’ one Met told The Post, “that would be interesting.’’
Yes it would.
There is going to be a window of opportunity for the Mets, but they need to make the most of that window. Sharks may fall from the sky onto Citi Field in “Sharknado 2,” but big-time outfielders don’t fall onto the grass here. You have to pay for such a player.
Kemp is high risk, but he is high reward.
The young outfielders in the Mets system such as Brandon Nimmo are not ready. Young, who is hitting .205, showed just how difficult it is to play the bounce-back game, hoping a player who has been terrible will bounce back in a big way.
Of course, the Mets can go that route and hope there will be meaningful games in their future. They are 9-2 in their last 11 home games vs. the NL East. Progress is being made.
Zack Wheeler, Wednesday’s winner, is 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA, over his last eight starts. The young pitchers are living up to expectations.
Get some big-time outfield help and suddenly the Mets become a meaningful team in New York once again.