Mets rumors: The only 2 prospects David Stearns should not trade for Garrett Crochet

It has been a while since the New York Mets made a truly impactful offseason trade. The early 2021 deal which brought them Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco is the most significant of the Steve Cohen era. For the most part, this is a team dabbling in free agency. Mets rumors of a potential trade have been stronger this offseason with Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet as the most recently discussed player on the tips of tongues.

The White Sox are reportedly looking for position players to help round out their team. This doesn’t mean pitchers will be completely off the table in trade discussions. 

The Mets and White Sox line up well because of this. In the Mets farm system, there are several position players whose future is in jeopardy with the club simply because this isn’t 9th grade gym class where the defense has around 20 players. Wisely subtracting and choosing early on who is trade bait and who should stay is a necessary practice for David Stearns. There are only two prospects the Mets have that they should absolutely refuse to trade for Crochet.

Every prospect other than Brandon Sproat and Drew Gilbert are worth discussing

It’s not so bold to pick the number one and three prospects the Mets have as “untouchable” when it comes to Crochet trade negotiations. You’ll have a hard time convincing me either one should be dealt for a realistic trade candidate.

What makes these two stand out? It’s probably how close to major league ready each is. Drew Gilbert is a longshot candidate to make the Mets Opening Day roster. Brandon Sproat should be one of the first options the Mets promote when the time comes to fill a rotation spot because of injury or if someone does their best Adrian Houser impression.

If Sproat and Gilbert aren’t contributing regularly by midseason in 2025, something has gone terribly wrong. The Mets should have space for both of them built in already. With Gilbert, a spot in center field makes sense. Sproat will naturally get his opportunity as innings inevitably open up.

A notable Mets prospect they should consider

Another important prospect with a chance to contribute at the major league level rated highly is Jett Williams. Maybe it’s the absence of playing time due to injury in 2024 which has him eligible in a hypothetical trade. Or maybe it’s the performance itself this past year. Williams ended up with 148 plate appearances with 101 of them coming in Double-A. The totals were a .215/.358/.298 slash line.

Of note, he did go 8 for 22 in Triple-A with 4 doubles. Not all hope is lost on this young kid. But with 0 home runs and only 5 successful stolen bases in 8 attempts, there were some warning signs.

No one should be in any rush to trade Williams. A pitcher like Crochet would be one of the few exceptions. Likely in need of a full year in Triple-A to prove his worth, Williams is the kind of headliner the Mets could use to add younger and controllable pitching to the roster. 

Crochet does only have two years of control left with just 32 starts (all last year) under his belt as a major leaguer. One of the more fascinating players because he skipped right to the majors in 2020 and has suddenly developed into a massively desirable starting pitcher, the Mets should tread lightly with any package they do offer. Free agency remains their best path.