MLB rumors: Hunter Greene may be on the trade block, what can the NY Mets offer?

Hunter Greene has become one of the first names mentioned among MLB rumors as somewhat surprising trade candidates. The Cincinnati Reds starter shoved the New York Mets in early September, tossing 7 innings and striking out 12 in a 1-hitter.

Statistically a good season, outside of making just 19 starts, his 2.76 ERA nearly matched what he did the previous season at 2.75.But again, he was hurt enough to question his durability. That’s a problem the Mets had, too.

This doesn’t mean the Mets should dismiss the idea of trading for Greene altogether. At 26 and already extended through the 2028 season at a reasonable rate, he’s a long-term investment for the Mets if they are able to acquire him. So, if they trade for him, they better get it right.

What could the Reds want from the Mets in exchange for Hunter Greene?

Blog Red Machine site expert Drew Koch told me he would prefer someone who can hit with power, but admitted that’s not the style the Reds, specifically Terry Francona, likes best. Ironic considering the ballpark they play in has a reputation for favoring sluggers. In either case, you can begin to assemble a trade package of some kind to appease everyone. It starts with Mark Vientos.

Vientos has a fading role with the Mets. Although he hit only 17 home runs this past season, it would have been the third-highest on the Reds roster and only 5 off of the team leader, Elly De La Cruz. He’s an easy improvement over Gavin Lux who played a team-high 59 games at DH and swatted only 5 homers.

With Francona’s preference for contact hitters and speed, there’s an easy prospect to entice the Reds with. Outfielder Nick Morabito had a dip in his offensive numbers this past year, but hit over .300 in 2024. Still, a .273 batting average this past season in Double-A is nothing to overlook. Nor should we ignore his 49 stolen bases. At least a year away from major league ready, he’d be an expendable Mets prospect.

Vientos and Morabito for Greene begins to sound heavy from a Mets perspective. Because it is a young pitcher with a high ceiling, we should expect at least one more prospect needed. Either an upper echelon position player or a mid-tier pitcher is a reasonable preference we could expect the Reds to have. A pitcher like Jack Wenninger feels required.

If the Mets are going to trade for a starting pitcher, there are multiple philosophies for David Stearns to have. Is it better to use your assets on a controllable arm like Greene with questions or go full bore after a soon-to-be free agent like Tarik Skubal?