WASHINGTON — It was clear long ago that this Mets season was lost. Entering Tuesday, they had the third-worst record in the National League.
So why did the non-waiver trade deadline pass on Tuesday afternoon without the Mets plugging some of their holes by, perhaps, trading Noah Syndergaard or Zack Wheeler? Why would the team do nothing beyond two trades earlier in July? If the Mets hope to contend for the playoffs next year, when does that overhaul begin?
Like much around Flushing, it’s complicated.
“We were not going to move those players unless it involved considerable talent coming back in our direction,” John Ricco, the longtime general manager, said in a conference call with reporters after the deadline.