Pitching figures to be the focus for the New York Mets ahead of the trade deadline, but general manager Zack Scott is preaching patience.

The Mets will be without Carlos Carrasco until at least late July, Noah Syndergaard until likely September and Joey Lucchesi for the rest of the season.

"One thing I say a lot to a lot of people around me in the game is we've got to remember that baseball is not the NBA," Scott said.

"It's not one person [who] has the opportunity to make as big of an impact. That's not to go down a slippery slope and say, 'Why trade for any rental, then, if it's not going to make an impact?' You don't want to go down that far. But the reality is the game is designed to limit the impact of a single player, whether that's a starting pitcher or a hitter. So we have to be smart."

The Mets entered play on Tuesday with a four-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the National League East.