A NY Mets-Tigers trade package swapping Spencer Torkelson for 2 buy-low top prospects

The New York Mets failed to adequately replace franchise star first baseman Pete Alonso after he departed for the Baltimore Orioles on a five-year, $155 million deal last offseason. President of baseball operations David Stearns brought in career middle infielder Jorge Polanco on a two-year, $40 million contract to play first base, a position he was unfamiliar with, which ultimately backfired.

Polanco logged just 20 innings at first base in 2026 and was limited to 37 games, most of which came at the DH spot. The 33-year-old was worth -1.4 bWAR last year and underwent season-ending ankle surgery in August.

With Polanco being a major question mark heading into 2027, the Mets must find an everyday first baseman this winter. One potential option could come via trade in the form of Spencer Torkelson of the Detroit Tigers. We're going to take a look at what a trade package might look like for him.

What a Mets trade package for Spencer Torkelson could look like

Torkelson has the kind of right-handed pop that fits the Mets' roster given they could platoon him with the lefty hitting Jared Young at first base. The 27-year-old, who has two years of control remaining, has hit 57 home runs in the past two seasons, and at least 25 homers in three out of the last four seasons.

Torkelson was first linked to the Mets back in the 2024-2025 offseason when Alonso's return to Queens was in jeopardy following the '24 season. Earlier in the week, a league source named Torkelson as a potential trade fit for the Mets.

However, Torkelson, a former No. 1 overall draft pick in 2020, hasn't lived up to the hype as a superstar player in Detroit. He also has his faults, posting a 31.7 percent strikeout rate and 32.4 percent whiff rate, striking out 194 times in 2026. In addition to the swing-and-miss, Torkelson was the worst defensive first baseman in baseball last season with -12 Outs Above Average at his position. His only good year defensively came in 2024, where he had one OAA and two defensive runs saved.

As a result, the Mets should be able to give up two falling prospects in first baseman Ryan Clifford and pitcher Will Watson in order to get a deal done for Torkelson. The Mets would be sending two of their top 20 prospects to Detroit in exchange for two years of Torkelson.

Clifford, the Mets' No. 14 ranked prospect, is coming off a nightmare campaign, where he hit .180 and struck out 174 times. But he does have power at the plate, hitting 29 homers and posting an .826 OPS in the minors in 2025. Watson, the Mets' No. 19 prospect, is also coming off a bad year where he went 0-7 with a 7.05 ERA in 13 minor league starts and missed significant time due to injury. Like Clifford, Watson has upside and had a 2.60 ERA in 28 appearances (23 starts) in the minors in 2025. Both players could still develop into something and are just 23-years-old a piece.

Beyond Torkelson, the only other free agent first base option that fits the Mets is the right-handed hitting Ty France, who is coming off a big season for the San Diego Padres. Jake Bauers, a lefty hitting first baseman who had a career year with the Milwaukee Brewers, was called a fit for the Mets by a rival National League scout, but later received the qualifying offer from the Brewers.

With the Mets likely staying away from Bauers, and France being the other lone possibility, swinging a trade for Torkelson could make sense. The Mets would be getting offensive production and power at the position that they have been missing since Alonso left. But they would still need to work hard to improve his defense. Given Torkelson's weaknesses, the Mets could potentially land him for two prospects whose stock went down in 2026 in Clifford and Watson.

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