A surprising Pirates update might provide NY Mets a way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone

In a world of big spenders and cash-strapped small market teams, clubs like the New York Mets and the Pittsburgh Pirates often do business following the tried and true formula. A behemoth like the Mets ships off prospects in exchange for the privilege of taking on veteran assets the little guy can no longer afford.

However, according to Ken Rosenthal, the perennial belt-tightening in Pittsburgh might be coming to an end, as he reports that the Pirates are willing to get aggressive and "spend a little bit," be it in free agency or by taking on salary in trades.

That could open the door for an out-of-the-box deal between them and the Mets, which could help New York solve the Jeff McNeil conundrum, while also addressing one of the club's biggest needs: starting pitching.

A Mets-Pirates exchange of Jeff McNeil for Mitch Keller could be a win-win for both sides

If there's one thing the Pirates desperately need, it is offense. Pittsburgh's 583 runs scored in 2025 were the worst mark in the entire league. By wRC+, they only had two players finish the year at a mark that was above average (100): Spencer Horwitz at 119 and Joey Bart at 101.

Horwitz might be a future building block, but his season was one of two extremes, with a 74 wRC+ in the first half and a ridiculous 154 mark in the second half. Bart, on the other hand, is likely on the outs in favor of trade deadline prize Rafael Flores.

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has an impressive amount of starting rotation depth that has led to its most expensive member, Mitch Keller, long being the subject of trade rumors with links to the Mets dating back to the trade deadline.

Keller was originally thought to be a candidate for a salary dump trade, but now, with this latest update, perhaps Pittsburgh would consider taking money back if it meant getting offensive value that also left room in the budget for a second move to acquire another veteran bat to improve a lineup whose best young minor league bats are a long way away from the bigs.

Even with a relatively unimpressive .243/.335/.411 line in 2025, McNeil would have been the second-best hitter on Pittsburgh's roster in 2025. That alone makes him an upgrade.

He's also attractive for another reason. His $15.75 million salary in 2026, the final year of his deal, is a hair less than the $16.9 million the Pirates are set to pay Keller in 2026. Such a deal would give Pittsburgh a veteran bat who improves their lineup while not raising their costs and getting them out from under the two years and $38.8 million owed to Keller in 2027 and 2028.

The Pirates could then make a follow-up move to acquire another veteran bat since they wouldn't be adding payroll by taking on McNeil's contract. They've long been connected to Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, who is thought to be available.

McNeil and a player like Ward would give the Pirates two veterans on expiring deals whom they could then flip at the trade deadline for prospects if they so chose. One last kicker is that the exploding salaries for starting pitchers on the free-agent market put Keller's deal at below market value, likely forcing the Mets to add a sweetener.

A versatile, young position player like Ronny Mauricio or Luisangel Acuña could do the trick.

For the Mets, the fit is clear. Keller might not fit the bill of a frontline starter, but his durability and consistency would be a boon for a team with multiple question marks in terms of health and performance in the middle and back of their rotation.

Keller has tossed over 175 innings in each of the last three seasons, including a career-high 194.1 in 2023. During that same time period, he's posted ERAs no higher than 4.25 (2024) and no lower than 4.19 (2025), which is frankly kind of remarkable.

David Stearns would still need to find a top-of-the-rotation arm, but Keller would be the antidote to Sean Manaea's inconsistency, Kodai Senga's durability, David Peterson's stamina, and Frankie Montas's general state of being. If he comes at the low cost of McNeil and a youngster who isn't in the Mets' immediate or future plans, then that would be a huge win. It would just take a little creativity from Stearns and an open mind from Pirates general manager Ben Cherington to make it happen.