3 thoughts on a Juan Soto dream trade

2) The Mets take on a risk they might not be able to by themselves out of

Let’s say the Mets and Nationals do strike a deal. Whatever it is, whichever top Mets prospects are sent to Washington, it’s going to deplete the farm system greatly.

There’s no more Francisco Alvarez hype. Brett Baty visits Citi Field a couple times a season in the road greys. Meanwhile, the Mets have Soto patrolling right field for a decade or more while eating up a huge part of the payroll.

Money doesn’t scare Mets fans anymore. They know that with Cohen in charge the vault is open. Unfortunately, you can’t always buy a championship. The way the Mets have been building, the focus has been on being good now and having some backup plans for the future.

Trading for Soto now kind of feels like losing track of the mission. It’s similar to tanking for a few seasons in the NBA then suddenly deciding to trade away all of the draft picks you’ve acquired for a single star. This might help in some sports—as unlikely as it often does lead to a championship. Baseball is a little different. Soto would only bat once every nine batters. He won’t pitch. He won’t be able to field every baseball.

There is a huge risk in making any trade like this. More so, striking the deal with a division rival comes with an even greater slap in the face if you lose the trade.