Zack Wheeler's Dominant Start Against Cubs Should Boost His Trade Value Right on Time

The 2019 New York Mets are truly an enigma. Their offense has been, for the most part a pleasant surprise, while their hyped-up starting staff has been wildly inconsistent, and their bullpen is in complete shambles. Still, they've managed to hover around .500 for the better part of the season.

Regardless, it's looking increasingly likely that the Mets will be sellers at the approaching trade deadline, and right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler may be at the top of the trade block. Just in time, Wheeler boosted his trade stock Saturday with a fantastic performance against the Chicago Cubs.

Much like the Mets themselves, Wheeler has been hard to figure out during the course of his five seasons with the Mets. He was once New York's top pitching prospect, and when he arrived in the MLB in 2013, he showed promising and electric stuff.

Unfortunately, since elbow injuries held him out of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he hasn't been the same pitcher. He still has the ability to dominate in any given outing, but his lack of consistency makes it very likely that he'll be shipped out of town in July.

After a bounce-back 2018 season in which he put together a strong 3.31 ERA in nearly 200 innings, the 29-year-old has taken a step back this year. His 4.94 ERA prior to Saturday's start had his stock at a valley point, but he picked a perfect time to showcase what he's capable of when he puts it all together.

If the Mets don't get red-hot soon, they will simply have no choice but to trade some MLB talent next month. If Wheeler can string together one or two more good starts, they may be able to garner a decent haul and send the pitcher on his way to greener pastures.