Mets Trade Rumors: Corey Kluber On NY's Radar, Noah Syndergaard Available After Robinson Cano Deal

Corey Kluber Cleveland Indians — Corey Kluber #28 of the Cleveland Indians pitches against the New York Mets at Progressive Field in the first inning on April 17, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. David Maxwell/Getty Images

The New York Mets might end up being one of the most active teams in the MLB offseason, at least from a trade perspective. After acquiring Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz from the Seattle Mariners, the organization is exploring even more blockbuster deals.

There have been reports for weeks that the Mets are considering moving Noah Syndergaard. Now, there are rumors that the team has spoken with the Cleveland Indians about possibly trading for Corey Kluber.

After Cano/Diaz trade, Mets are clearly still thinking big. Could be a sign they plan to trade Noah Syndergaard, then turn around and bring in Kluber. Brodie Van Wagenen appears to be exploring every possible avenue to improve his team.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 2, 2018

Sources say the Mets have spoken with the Indians about Corey Kluber. The two teams had talked about Yan Gomes before he was dealt to the Nationals, but the Mets' interest now appears to also extend to Kluber, who had Mets manager Mickey Callaway as a pitching coach in Cleveland.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 2, 2018

News that Mets talked Kluber with Indians fits with overall pattern of Van Wagenen investigating all options. Nothing imminent there, but you’ll hear big names connected to Mets all winter. If a player is available, he’ll look into it.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 2, 2018

Cleveland is reportedly looking to trade either Kluber, Carlos Carrasco or Trevor Bauer. Kluber has been the best pitcher of the bunch with two AL Cy Young awards and two other top-three Cy Young finishes in the last five years. Mets’ manager Mickey Callaway was the Indians’ pitching coach from 2013-2017.

New York sent three prospects to Seattle in the latest deal, and it would take an expensive package to acquire Kluber from the defending AL Central champs. Perhaps the Mets will trade Syndergaard for multiple players and trade one of them to Cleveland as part of a deal for Kluber.

The acquisition of Cano signals that the Mets are hoping to contend in 2019. It wouldn’t make much sense for them to deal Syndergaard for minor leaguers unless they planned to replace him in the rotation.

If the Mets keep Syndergaard and add Kluber to a rotation that already includes Jacob deGrom and Zack Wheeler, they might be considered one of the best teams in the NL East. New York went 77-85 last year when deGrom won the NL Cy Young award.

Syndergaard went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in the 2018 season. He struck out 155 batters in 154.1 innings, bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2017 campaign that saw him throw just 30.1 innings.

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