Subway Series rivalry takes backseat to Mets’ and Yankees’ own issues

Forgive the Mets and Yankees if they’re looking past this week’s Subway Series — a little farther down the tracks, you might say — with more of an eye toward the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Because when these two middling teams face off again Tuesday night in the Bronx, it won’t be about grudge matches or bragging rights. They’ve got much bigger problems, and both are running out of time to find answers.

As far as desperation, on a scale of one to 10 — with one being Steve Cohen’s electric bill overdue and 10 being the kiss-blowing Carlos Rodon’s need to win over the Bronx — we’d put the Mets at a solid 11 for this Subway Series. Saying their season hangs by a thread would be generous at this point, along with the jobs of manager Buck Showalter and general manager Billy Eppler.

In all likelihood, it’s probably too late anyway, as the Mets face a seven-game deficit for the third wild-card spot, and five teams to jump. Midway through the dropped series at Fenway Park, Jeff McNeil labeled all of the Mets’ remaining 63 games “must-win,” a rare confession from a players’ perspective before the end of July.

Then the Red Sox used Carlos Carrasco for BP in Sunday night’s finale and the only thing worth talking about afterward was Mark Canha’s three outfield assists. Gives you a sickening feeling about what the final two months could be like in Flushing if the Mets can’t make one last stand before the trade deadline.

“You always feel like the next series can be the one where we turn it around,” Canha said. “And that’s how we keep approaching it.”

A sound concept, sure. But other than the season-high six-game winning streak right before the All-Star break, the Mets have displayed little reason to believe they’re capable of even reaching .500, never mind pushing for a playoff spot. They’re in the bottom half of the majors in many key statistical categories. Take your pick — 4.42 runs per game (18th), .716 OPS (20th), .237 batting average (21st), 4.20 bullpen ERA (21st).

Their best skill to date? The ability to disappoint, after Cohen spent a record $377 million to get to the World Series — or at least back-to-back playoff appearances for only the third time in Mets’ history — and instead has wound up with the fifth-worst team in the National League. With Justin Verlander lined up to start Tuesday’s opener and Jose Quintana hoping to build on last week’s season debut, at least the Mets get to keep homer-happy Max Scherzer (22 HRs in 100 2/3 IP) away from Yankee Stadium’s short porch.

Both Scherzer and Verlander have been the subject of trade speculation as the deadline draws near, but their prohibitive contracts — accompanied by underwhelming performance — points to them staying put. Not that the conversation is going away, however.

“I’m just not commenting on trades,” an exasperated Scherzer said over the weekend. “I’m here to win with the Mets. Nothing else.”

As for the Yankees, the main topic for the last seven weeks has been the status of their $360 million captain Aaron Judge, who again will be sidelined for the Subway Series. Unable to do much else because of his injured big toe, Judge’s role has been reduced to providing a convenient excuse as the Yankees are 18-22 since he landed on the IL. Heading into the Subway Series, they’re tied with the Red Sox for last place in the AL East, at six games over .500 (53-47) and two games out of the third wild-card spot.

The Mets can only dream of being where the Yankees are, but that doesn’t make what’s been happening in the Bronx lately any easier to stomach. Sweeping the Royals doesn’t suddenly gloss over the recent troubles for Aaron Boone & Co. On the plus side, Giancarlo Stanton is on a three-week heater, finally helping to fill the Judge power void with seven homers, 19 RBIs and a .923 OPS over his last 19 games. Even Anthony Rizzo, one of MLB’s worst offensive players since the end of May, ended a 45-game homerless funk Sunday with his first four-hit game in four years.

Does that suggest the Yankees’ rebound could be legit? Hard to say. Since Judge last played on June 3, they’ve scored the third fewest runs in the majors (157) — same as the Pirates — rank last in batting average (.221) and are tied with the A’s for 28th with a .674 OPS. Seeing Judge face the rehabbing Jonathan Loaisiga before Sunday’s matinee in his first live BP since the injury was definitely encouraging, but five whiffs and a foul ball on six swings means the reigning MVP isn’t rounding into form quite yet. The rest of the Yankees will have to do the heavy lifting for a while longer, and the Mets — for all their issues — should be more formidable than the Royals.

“We feel like we have a chance to be a really good team,” Boone said after Sunday’s win. 

Count on GM Brian Cashman to come up with his standard bullpen arm by next Tuesday’s trade deadline, and maybe he’ll even import a leftfielder to correct his winter oversight. Regardless, both the Yankees and Mets have boxes to check over this coming week. For the next two days, they just happen to be the obstacle in each other’s way.

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball’s Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.