NY Mets: An underwhelming, potentially riot-causing Twins trade idea

MLB.com recently published a piece covering one trade every first place team should make. The New York Mets are in first place so I thought I would check it out.

The trade proposed in the article comes from David Adler. He’s clearly not the guy on Twitter with no avatar that pitches the most preposterous Mets-friendly trade ideas. A total of five names swap uniforms. And although Adler believes it’s the Twins that turn down the deal, I have a feeling 99% of Mets fans would do the same.

This is not the Mets trade with the Twins we were hoping for

The Mets pick up a good yet again and expensive third baseman with Josh Donaldson plus a pitcher, Kenta Maeda. Also older but on a very team-friendly contract that pays him only $3,125,000 in each of the next two seasons, there’s no pain to the payroll. However, there might be to the standings.

By now, you have probably assessed Donaldson’s statistics and contract to death. He has been mentioned in Mets rumors for several weeks now. You either want him in New York or you don’t.

Maeda’s name is brand new. This is the first instance I have seen him mentioned as a possible Mets trade target. Having potentially his worst season yet, the 33-year-old is not exactly the big pitching splash I would like to see.

The duo of Donaldson and Maeda isn’t so bad except when we factor in the cost. Adler proposes the Mets give up Mark Vientos, Ryley Gilliam, and Tylor Megill. Vientos appears to be on his way potentially out of New York’s farm system. With Bretty Baty providing him with some stiff competition for the future third base gig, it does make sense to move him.

I’m just not so sure I want to do it for the duo of Donaldson and Maeda.

Gilliam is certainly expendable and as delighted as I have been with Megill’s major league performance, it could benefit the Mets to capitalize on his meteoric rise through the minor league system this season.

Why the Mets might say no to this deal

Money. That’s the big problem with this deal. According to Spotrac, the team is about $10.3 million under the luxury tax threshold. They could request the Twins eat a portion of Donaldson’s $20+ million salary. Otherwise, Steve Cohen is going to have to start forking over some dollars as part of a penalty.

A few weeks ago, Cohen did talk about the luxury tax implications. He didn’t say he would go over it. Cohen’s take was that if it is an absolute must for the Mets, they will go over.

In addition to that, the Mets wouldn’t just inch over the luxury tax. The way he seemed to put it, the Mets would be willing to continue to add to the payroll even after the approximately $10.3 million gets added to the payroll.

If this is the kind of deal we could expect the Mets to make, I’m hesitant. We do know the front office would like to keep the farm system mostly intact. This trade does that.

A personal preference of mine would be to get something better than Maeda. I would preferably pass on Donaldson altogether and pick up a guy having a career year rather than a potential fading veteran like Maeda. Kyle Gibson, anyone?

One final point as to why I’m not a fan of this deal: the Mets lose one of their starting pitching depth pieces in Megill. They should get some arms back in a few weeks, but who follows this team relying on what should happen when it comes to the IL?

The package isn’t a terrible one but it’s also underwhelming. The Mets aren’t getting the star bat or pitcher in this deal: a must I would like to see happen in any sort of big contract swap.

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If I could get Adler in alone in a room I would have one question for him. I would ask what he thinks the Mets would need to give up in order to make Maeda become Jose Berrios. Shortly thereafter, I expect to turn down that deal as well.