Mets still eyeing more additions at deadline to fuel a World Series run

Brandon Nimmo isn’t afraid to admit he’s excited about the Aug. 2 trade deadline and how specifically it might help the Mets. 

As a top prospect in the organization, Nimmo watched in 2015 as the Mets completed a trade-deadline deal that brought Yoenis Cespedes to Queens, helping the team win the NL East and reach the World Series. 

But Nimmo has also seen more recently how the right moves before the deadline can invigorate a team: The Braves last year added Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson and Jorge Soler in July trades before overtaking the Mets for the division title and winning the World Series. 

“I am definitely interested in the trade deadline because it impacts our team, and go ahead and take the Braves last year,” Nimmo said before the Mets faced the Padres on Sunday at Citi Field. 

“They made a few moves that panned out, probably even more so than they thought and you end up getting two additions that end up being your NLCS MVP [Rosario] and your World Series MVP [Soler]. That is the ideal situation that you have, that you would pull those strings, but that is why it’s important: because it could make that big of a difference, so I am very interested in it.” 

Mets general manager Billy Eppler’s first deadline move occurred Friday, when Daniel Vogelbach was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh for reliever Colin Holderman. The left-handed hitting Vogelbach was in the lineup for his Mets debut on Sunday. 

Nimmo recalled the first time he met Vogelbach — the two were teenagers in the Tournament of Stars, trying out for Team USA in 2010. 

“We were on the American Legion team and I remember when I played with him I was like, ‘God, this is the best hitter I have ever seen.’ He was unbelievable,” Nimmo said. “Now I get to play again with him and it’s a start to the additions that I think will hopefully make a big difference.” 

But the Mets need at least one additional bat — with Josh Bell, Trey Mancini and Brandon Drury among the names that could potentially help them — and bullpen help. 

The lineup has become a focal point during a stretch of five straight games entering Sunday (the final three were losses) in which the Mets averaged two runs. 

“You add one more piece, whether it’s the pitching or it’s the lineup and it’s just another very good player on the team and it can make a very big difference going right down to the end of it,” Nimmo said. “I have seen, even going back to ’15 when we traded for Cespedes and how he went off and went on a tear. I have seen how trade pieces can make a huge difference. I am obviously excited about it, but that is all I am allowed to be.” 

The Mets went for offense last year at the trade deadline, acquiring Javier Baez from the Cubs (along with Trevor Williams) for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. The rental Baez helped carry the Mets lineup for the final two months, but couldn’t prevent the team from falling into oblivion with the starting rotation, minus Jacob deGrom, on fumes. Baez signed with the Tigers last offseason, leaving the Mets with only Williams to show for Crow-Armstrong, the organization’s first-round draft pick in 2020. 

“I thought [Baez] was a great addition,” Nimmo said. “He got some big hits for us and that is what can happen. You add somebody to a team that is competing, from a team that wasn’t and all of a sudden it sparks that second wind.”