It is interesting to hear the Mets are selling because the news came just one day after the Mets said they were going to move Asdrubal Cabrera to second base to allow Jose Reyes to stay at shortstop when Cabrera comes off the disabled list.  Naturally, this move blocks both Gavin Cecchini, who has played fairly well over the past four games earning him a longer look at the the position, and Amed Rosario, who is considered an Über prospect.

If you are team looking to sell, you have really announced you want to clear your veterans out of the way to both get some prospects in return and to give your young players some time at the major league level.  However, it could behoove the Mets to play their veterans as much as possible now to increase their trade value.

For example, in the outfield, the Mets have four caliber starting outfielders.  There is no way the team is going to bench Yoenis Cespedes under any circumstances, nor should they.  This means the team has two spots for three left-handed hitting outfielders.  The Mets have control over only one of them after this season.

For the long term, the Mets need to get Michael Conforto as many at-bats as possible.  With that said, would it harm his development to be a part-time player for the next month?   He has suffered a back injury to some unspecified severity.  He has slumped in June albeit while keeping a more than respectable OBP.  If sitting him potentially leads to a better return for Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson, shouldn’t the Mets at least try to get the most value from those players?

Same goes for the infield.  The Mets are going to have to clear some room for their presumed infield of the future including Dominic Smith, Rosario, and possibly Cecchini to take form.  If playing Reyes for the next month gets some major league team interested in him as a late inning pinch runner or utility player, shouldn’t the Met do that?  Maybe that seemingly low rated prospect becomes something.  Remember, Wuilmer Becerra was seen as a throw-in to the R.A. Dickey trade, and he has become a real prospect over the past few years.

The same thing goes for Cabrera.  The Mets need to get him going to get teams interested in him.  Presumably, moving him to second has more to do with showing teams he can be the answer at second as well than making a spot for Reyes.

Overall, the Mets need to maximize the returns for everyone to build up the team not just for 2018, but for the oncoming seasons. Up until the trade deadline, getting the most in return for the veterans has to be the Mets singular focus.  Conforto can sit for a while or go to Triple-A.  Rosario and Smith can wait an extra month.  However, the veterans cannot wait.  The Mets need to get them going to try to maximize the return on them.  To do that, they need to be in the lineup everyday.

However, once August 1st rolls around, those veterans not shipped out needs to be put on the bench.  At that point, it is l about playing Conforto, Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo, Rosario, and Smith.