Blockbuster Trade Pitch Has Mets Landing Ace & Star Outfielder

The New York Mets are expected to be aggressive this offseason after making it to the NLCS.

New York will have an emphasis on the rotation in the offseason, and CBS baseball insider Mike Axisa has them landing a true ace. In Axisa’s 10 offseason bold prediction articles, he has the Mets acquiring Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox in a blockbuster.

“For this next bold prediction, we’ll say the Mets hook up for a blockbuster trade with the White Sox, one that sends Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. to Flushing,” Axisa wrote. “The Mets need rotation help with Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana, and Luis Severino all becoming free agents, and they don’t have a center fielder (Tyrone Taylor’s a nice player, but come on). Crochet and Robert to the Mets for a package that includes Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuna, and at least two others. It has been foretold.”

Crochet would immediately bolster the Mets rotation and could be the team’s starter. The left-hander was an All-Star this past season and was one of the top starting pitchers. Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts. He’s projected to make $2.9 million in arbitration this offseason, as he can’t become a free agent until 2027.

Robert Jr., meanwhile, would be the Mets starting outfielder. The 27-year-old was an All-Star in 2023. Last season, he hit .224 with 14 home runs and 35 RBIs in 100 games. The year prior, he hit .264 with 38 home runs and 80 RBIs.

What Are The Mets Giving Up?

In the proposed deal, Axisa has the Mets trading Baty and Acuna as the main pieces as well as two other prospects.

Baty was selected 12th overall in the 2019 MLB draft out of high school. The third baseman ended up making his MLB debut in August of 2022. The 24-year-old could be the White Sox’s starting third baseman and he fits in nicely with the young core they are building.

In his MLB career, Baty has played in 169 games hitting .215 with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs.

Acuna, meanwhile, was acquired by the Mets from the Texas Rangers in 2023 in the Max Scherzer deal. The infielder is the Mets’ 12th-best prospect and made his MLB debut in September. Acuna is 22 and hit .308 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs in 39 at-bats in his MLB career.

Starting Pitching a Priority for Mets

New York will be looking to bolster its rotation this offseason, whether that’s through trade or free agency.

The Mets have three impact starters as free agents and general manager David Stearns says adding pitching is a priority.

“Starting pitching is certainly a priority for us,” Stearns said. “We have three free-agent starting pitchers combine for a lot of starts, a lot of endings for us.”

Stearns also says money won’t be an issue as New York is able to pursue any player they want this offseason.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Stearns added. “I think whenever you have access to every tier of agency and every tier available player, that’s a tremendous opportunity and it opens up doors and we have to decide which door to walk through or which doors to walk through at times.”

The Mets’ payroll was over $300 million last season.

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