Mets predicted to acquire two Orioles All-Stars in deadline blockbuster

The New York Mets will be under a lot of pressure to improve their roster within the next two weeks.

This season, the National League is as tight as ever. The difference between home field advantage and the first team out of the playoffs is only six games as of the All-Star break. And the Mets have some notable flaws worth addressing.

Among those flaws are center field, where Tyrone Taylor has struggled all year on offense, and the bullpen, which lacks a left-handed presence and has been taxed by the turnover in the rotation.

One baseball writer believes the Mets will pull off a combo trade to address both needs.

On Thursday, FanSided's Tim Boyle predicted that the Mets would acquire center fielder Cedric Mullins and relief pitcher Gregory Soto in a deal with the disappointing Baltimore Orioles.

"The Mets get Cedric Mullins and Gregory Soto in the deal, effectively changing their starting center fielder and adding a much-needed lefty reliever into the bullpen. Both players are on expiring contracts, therefore on the move in the coming days," Boyle wrote.

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"This wouldn’t be a major blockbuster, but would end up as the biggest trade of all by the Mets at the deadline. They don’t seem well-positioned (or willing) to give up any of their greatest prospects at the moment... Mullins and Soto would make the Mets better."

Mullins has a .713 OPS and 13 home runs this season, which Fangraphs says has made him worth 0.7 wins above replacement. Soto, a former two-time All-Star with the Detroit Tigers, has posted a 3.74 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.

Neither made the All-Star team this year, but the combination of both could reinforce the Mets' roster just enough to make a second-half charge up the standings.

More MLB: Mets projected to boost rotation with $13.5 million trade chip