If Mets fans felt emotional whiplash over the past week, experiencing a six-game winning streak and then the major letdown of a series loss in San Diego, imagine how the front office felt.
Steve Cohen, Billy Eppler and their group trying to decide whether to buy or sell at the trade deadline, are receiving extremely mixed signals from the team on the field.
The amateur draft and All-Star break are typically points when front offices on the bubble hone in on their trade deadline approach. But because of the Mets' up-and-down week, the front office has decided to continue to prepare for both buying and selling scenarios, league sources say.
Mets decision makers took positive signs away from the week, though the Padres series served as a reminder that there was more work to be done before declaring themselves contenders. As a result, the Mets will have a renewed opportunity after the break to prove that they deserve to add.
The team is not yet engaged in trade talks regarding any veteran players, from Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander to Mark Canha, Tommy Pham and David Robertson.
If the team plays poorly out of the break, that will likely change. With the Mets seven games out of a wild card berth, they have little room to lose ground before Eppler is forced to sell off players and think about the future.
What would it take to make the Mets buyers?
As one source puts it, “Just win, baby.”