Mets Trade Rumors: Kris Bryant for Francisco Alvarez is a deal-breaker

The latest New York Mets trade rumors have them connected to Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant. The price might be catching prospect Francisco Alvarez.

The New York Mets excited us with the Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco deal and may not be done adding to the roster. According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, there are more Mets trade rumors to pay attention to.

The Mets and Chicago Cubs reportedly discussed a deal for Kris Bryant. The former MVP would make sense as a third baseman for the Mets in 2021. Beyond that, he’d require an extension to make the deal worth whatever price it is they pay.

Mets trade rumors involving Bryant suggest the cost might be as high as catching prospect Francisco Alvarez. Depending on where you look, Alvarez is the number one or two prospect in the system. It wouldn’t surprise me if he eventually becomes the best player this farm system produces even if he never does get the unanimous number one spot.

After all, prospect rankings are completely arbitrary and often wrong about a few things.

Bryant may be heading toward free agency just as Lindor is but the circumstances do feel different. Bryant is a few years older than Lindor. This doesn’t factor much into what his next deal will look like. Both players will make a whole lot of money.

Bryant, however, plays a position where there is an abundance of offensive weapons. Third base has plenty of sluggers. Overpaying for one year of his service feels wrong especially when there is no guarantee the Mets will have him beyond this upcoming season.

Not necessarily a poor fit, adding Bryant to the Mets would require them to reorganize their lineup plans for the coming year. J.D. Davis would be expelled to the bench or another team via trade—possibly even in this deal for Bryant.

The key point of these Mets trade rumors with the Cubs is the cost. Alvarez is one of the untouchable prospects. Catchers that can hit shouldn’t be shopped lightly. There’s no telling what they can develop into.

There’s little else to know what the Cubs would look for in a potential deal involving Bryant. Clearly not interested in an extension, the relationship between Bryant and Chicago got off to an ugly start way back in his rookie season when they delayed his MLB debut. Although a 2016 championship and MVP season from him seemed to calm things down, I’m sure he has always held a grudge.

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Fortunately, Sandy Alderson doesn’t sound interested in gutting the farm system. If Bryant lands at JFK with a Mets uniform waiting for him in a cab, it’s going to have to cost the New York club a lot less than a hot prospect.