This move was precipitated by the recent loss of regular first baseman Lucas Duda, who is out for up to the next two months nursing a lower back stress fracture. Loney doesn't bring the pop most teams look for at first base but is an overall upgrade on current fill-in Eric Campbell (a journeyman with little power himself who is batting just .169 this season). This is a solid and inexpensive short-term solution for the Mets, since they only need to pay a pro-rated amount of Loney's league minimum deal.

Loney was playing in the minors for the Padres, and San Diego has young talent Wil Myers holding down first base in the majors. With more-versatile first base backup option Alex Dickerson currently mashing the ball in Triple-A ball, Loney became expendable organizational depth (so San Diego gets some cash here for him).

Loney only has fantasy value for teams in the deepest of leagues looking for a short-term plug-in player who will bat for a solid average. His lack of power at first base is a major fantasy drawback. There's little fantasy fallout on the Padres side of the swap either, except perhaps to slightly upgrade Dickerson's deep sleeper appeal.