NY Mets rumors: A requirement for the White Sox in any Luis Torrens trade

Jim Bowden has issued a warning to New York Mets fans. Prepare for the Chicago White Sox to blow David Stearns away with an offer for Luis Torrens. Signed for two more seasons thanks to an extension earlier this year, Bowden dropped some recent Mets rumors suggesting it’s the White Sox who could make one of the stronger offers for Torrens.

Torrens is one of those complicated Mets trade candidates because he fits his role so perfectly. He is the ideal backup and if the Mets could run things the way they wanted, Torrens would probably be a ninth-place hitter more often than he has been.

The Mets shouldn’t be completely dismissive about trading Torrens if the right offer comes along. Recent rumors from Bob Nightengale about their lack of interest in trading a top 10 prospect from their own system seems to dampen the idea of several Mets-White Sox trade scenarios. Luke Weaver, for instance, is completely off the table if they’re not budging.

If their top 10 are off the table, there’s only one way the Mets surrender Torrens. Chicago needs to take back a bad contract with him.

The White Sox need to take a bad contract if they want Luis Torrens

The Mets have more bad contracts on the books than anyone should. Marcus Semien is only a little over half a season into his Mets tenure and already it looks like it has aged the way they fear Brandon Nimmo’s deal will. Kodai Senga no longer appears to have any role on this team other than getting some random relief appearances. Less expensive, he’s more palatable to simply DFA if they need to.

Looking at it realistically, the Mets shouldn’t be able to steal anyone’s best prospect in exchange for Torrens. He is what he is and that’s the best backup in the league. If he was your starter, he’d probably rank in the bottom quarter.

Shedding salary and getting nothing back in return for Torrens offers little satisfaction. Cut the check instead. The White Sox are apparently willing to take on salaries of starting pitchers rather than giving up their best prospects, making Sean Manaea a good match for them.

Manaea, though, might be one of those “bad contracts” the Mets would prefer to wait out. There’s only one more year left and he has been much better lately. Sending him down the river without much of a return alongside Torrens offers zero pleasure and is more about saving money for next year. The Mets, if they were to trade Manaea, might have a better chance flipping him in the offseason for another player with a similar contract.

So, what’s a trade the Mets should make involving Luis Torrens?

We’ll keep it simple because the more parts you add to any mock trade, the more holes you can punch in it. They don’t want to trade a top 10 prospect? Let’s pick their 11th guy because we deserve to be greedy here. In addition to that, they need to take Marcus Semien with his $46 million remaining dollars after this year.

Wolkow is a 6’7 20-year-old left-handed hitter who plays the outfield. A Ryan Clifford type with power and a lot of strikeouts, it’s not as if the White Sox are trading away a guaranteed superstar. A seventh round pick from 2023, he has some unique athleticism. Setting a new career-high with 15 home runs in High-A this year, last season included an outstanding 33 stolen bases.

The Mets get a legitimate prospect back for Torrens while also shedding salary. The White Sox get their catcher plus a locker room leader (we were pitched this and how much of a difference has it made?).

The White Sox say “no” to this trade proposal and not just because their owner isn’t a Steve Cohen fan. The Mets might want to think creatively with some of their trade pursuits, especially if the returns on certain players won’t be massive. This accomplishes that. With potential penalties starting in the 2028 season for going over certain salary thresholds, getting out from the Semien contract is more important than any other that expires after 2027.

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