New York Mets' Star Lobbying to Ownership, Front Office to Buy at Deadline

This New York Mets' star is pushing for team owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns to buy at the trade deadline.

Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor enjoy a handshake after a Mets' win. / Jim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The New York Mets fell back below .500 on Monday, finishing up their road trip with a 4-4 record,

That being said, they're still just 2.5 games back of the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot in the NL and 3.5 behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second position.

The Mets swept the Padres during their blistering hot stretch last month, and it's fair to expect them to be at least minimal buyers at the trade deadline, which is now exactly three weeks away.

Star outfielder Brandon Nimmo thinks they should buy too, and he has been lobbying to team owner Steve Cohen and president of baseball operations David Stearns about adding major league talent at the July 30 deadline, as he revealed to Will Sammon of The Athletic.

“Any chance that I get, I kind of throw that in there,” Nimmo told The Athletic. “I don’t think that we are that far off from being a real contender.”

The Mets' offense has been one of the best in the league since late-May, and they have posted a .819 OPS during this span, which is the top mark in the NL, as Sammon pointed out.

The club's clear need is bullpen help, something Stearns must prioritize ahead of the deadline. But they aren't alone as virtually every contender in the majors is searching for quality relievers on the trade market.

For now, the Mets just got closer Edwin Diaz back from his 10-game suspension for sticky stuff, they called up starter Jose Butto to serve in long relief and Dedniel Nunez has been more than solid since being brought up from Triple-A Syracuse in May.

But it hasn't been close to enough in terms of stability as the Mets have been forced to piece together their bullpen by shuffling relievers to and from the minors.

Despite getting roughed up in Monday's loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Adrian Houser has looked good in a long relief role since being switched out of the rotation. Tylor Megill and David Peterson could be options for the bullpen, but veteran hurlers' Jake Diekman and Adam Ottavino have struggled. Brooks Raley and Drew Smith are also done for the year due to Tommy John surgery.

So, Nimmo is doing his part by letting Cohen and Stearns know that the clubhouse wants them to buy so they can push for a spot in the postseason. Nimmo and Francisco Lindor are the two clear-cut leaders on the Mets' roster and have the ear of ownership. Time will tell regarding how aggressive New York will be with just 21 days to go until the deadline.