A NY Mets-Pirates trade we could still see that won’t include Bubba Chandler

The New York Mets have taken a slow offseason and turned it into a transformative one thanks to a flurry of January moves. While it might seem like the heavy lifting is done, that's not entirely true.

Moves like signing Bo Bichette and trading for Freddy Peralta created some roster gluts that will have certain players landing on the trade block. Those will need to be smoothed out in order for the Mets to truly balance out their roster.

One team that could be a prime trade partner is the Pittsburgh Pirates, whose needs align well with the surpluses that the Mets have. Pittsburgh has never been a big spender, but it has become more active this offseason and has made multiple additions to its big league roster. In short, they've moved on from their previous position of perpetual sellers and have become buyers this winter.

The Mets have engaged with the Pirates before, reportedly inquiring about pitchers Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Johan Oviedo. Chandler is off the table. The 23-year-old made his big league debut last season and ranks behind only Nolan McLean in MLB Pipeline's ranking of top-10 right-handed pitching prospects. As for Oviedo, he's now a Boston Red Sox.

This Mets-Pirates trade works for both sides, even though it doesn't include Bubba Chandler

The Pirates still have two very dire needs. The first is at third base, where, as currently constructed, utility man Jared Triolo, who posted an 86 wRC+ last season, is penciled in as the starter.

In addition, Pittsburgh could use a veteran presence for its rotation and desperately needs a lefty to break up the right-handed monotony.

Going back to their lineup for a second, Triolo is one of the few right-handed hitters in a lineup that skews heavily left-handed, and none of those righties are truly plus bats.

The Mets can give them both by swapping Vientos and David Peterson, who himself has been the subject of much trade speculation in a deal with the Pirates.

While it might not seem like New York needs another starter, one with the control and potential that Ashcraft possesses is hard to pass up. The 26-year-old finally made his major league debut last season after many bouts with the injury bug. Working both as a starter and reliever, he posted a 2.71 ERA over 69.2 innings of work, sporting a superb 50.3% groundball rate and a solid 24.3% strikeout rate, which drove his performance.

The right-hander is under team control through 2031, and, as we've seen with trades like Shane Baz and others this offseason, a starter with team control is an expensive proposition.

He would provide value to the Mets in two ways. Either he could work this season as a reliever, or he could move into the rotation should a follow-up trade involving Kodai Senga or Sean Manaea happen to further clear the rotation. In any case, he replaces the departed Brandon Sproat as a young arm with promise.

For the Pirates, they check off their two biggest remaining needs. Vientos gives them a right-handed power bat with team control that should be attractive if he bounces back. Peterson is a rental, but a cheap one at $8.1 million, and is someone they could re-sign if they decide to further flex their financial might.

Chandler would be nice, but Ashcraft isn't a bad consolation prize and can be had simply by trading away the spare parts the Mets no longer need.