Ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, the New York Mets, who are fighting for the first place in the NL East, may take strong measures to strengthen their squad.
Bleacher Report MLB analyst Zachary D. Rymer put forward a plan for the Mets to make a blockbuster trade with the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Alex Bregman.
Mets acquire:
- Alex Bregman
Red Sox acquire:
- Starling Marte
- Nolan MacLean
The suggested deal would be a blockbuster as Boston would receive an MLB bat and one of the Mets’ best prospects to replace Bregman, while New York would secure third base.
Bregman, who signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Red Sox, would be acquired by the Mets; but, he has an opt-out after this season, so Boston may try to trade him and get compensation. Bregman would contribute another strong bat to the lineup and play some excellent defense at third base for the Mets. This season, he is hitting.299 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Since the designated hitter is nearing the end of his four-year, $78 million contract, New York would move Marte to help offset part of his pay. By filling Bregman’s gap, Marte’s bat would help Boston stay in the running for the Wild Card. Marte has 19 RBIs, 4 home runs, and a.245 batting average.
MacLean, the fourth-ranked prospect in New York, would play a significant role in the return from the Mets. The Red Sox have a pitching shortage, so the right-handed starter may enter Boston’s rotation immediately. MacLean has a 2.72 ERA in 9 games, including 7 starts, and a 2-4 record in Triple-A. He has a 2.25 ERA in 14 games, 12 of which he has started, and a 5-5 record in the minor leagues this season.
Analyst Explains Mets-Red Sox Trade
Rymer’s suggested deal would be a blockbuster and most likely the largest one made in Major League Baseball this season.
Rymer thinks the Mets would be interested in Bregman because New York needs to take something to turn things around.
“Earlier in the 2024–25 offseason, the Mets showed interest in Bregman, but they ultimately decided to call it quits and re-sign Pete Alonso to solve their third base dilemma, which put Mark Vientos back in the hot corner,” Rymer said. Unfortunately, neither Baty nor he have contributed much to the role. With 0.3 rWAR from third base, the Mets are ahead of just five other teams.
Marte would be involved in this transaction in part to balance the finances, since he still receives $10.4 million. However, the true purpose of Boston’s acquisition of him would be to get McLean from the Mets, Rymer said. The Red Sox should want McLean if they’re going to let go of Bregman, but it’s far from likely that the Mets would make such a trade. He has a 2.25 ERA in the high minors this season because to his slider, which is worth the entry fee alone.
Given how weak their rotation is, it would be difficult for the Mets to let go of MacLean. However, the Mets would have to give up a top prospect, like MacLean, in order to acquire someone of Bregman’s caliber.
Mets Owner has Confidence in Team
June is a horrible month in New York, with a 12–15 record.
The Mets had a difficult month, but owner Steve Cohen assured supporters that he still has faith in the team.
There is no sugarcoating this difficult stretch. I didn’t anticipate this. Everyone else is as frustrated as I am. We shall survive this time. Over the next weeks, our injured pitchers will return. The team’s RISP batting is unlikely to continue at this slow rate. “Have faith!” wrote Cohen on X.
With a 49-38 record, the Mets are still in the running for a Wild Card.
