NY Mets: 3 third base trade candidates to consider, 2 to avoid this winter

Josh Donaldson is too costly for what he can offer the Mets

Josh Donaldson, if paired with a pitcher like Jose Berrios, made a lot of sense for the Mets this past summer. It was the kind of trade the team could have made to boost the offense and starting rotation. They never did pull the trigger on the deal and Donaldson remained with the Minnesota Twins.

His year ended with a .247/.352/.475 slash line which included 26 home runs and 72 RBI in 543 plate appearances. It wasn’t bad. In the right circumstance, it could work.

This isn’t the right circumstance in Flushing. Donaldson is a $21.75 million cut into the payroll in each of the next two seasons. In 2024, there’s a $16 million team option and $8 million buyout.

The contract has Robinson Cano 2.0 written all over it. With Cano still on the Mets, the team would risk having two albatross deals on the books handed out to players whose best days were a half-decade ago or more.

I have no doubt the Twins will at least explore trading Donaldson this winter. Their club disappointed greatly this past season and clearing him from the books could help them get back on the right track. If the Mets field these calls, they should politely decline. Donaldson is aging quickly. He’s already not the 37 home run guy he was with the Atlanta Braves back in 2019.

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Which of these third base trade candidates would you most like to see the Mets potentially target? And of the two, which would you like the Mets to drive straight into a lake to avoid?