A Mets-Orioles trade proposal for 4 prospects and makes the Yankees grimace

It’s never a surprise when a new hire brings familiar faces with them to a new job. David Stearns in the front office. Carlos Mendoza in the manager’s seat. The New York Mets are fully-stocked in the majors and minors with players with a Milwaukee Brewers or New York Yankees connection.

Those who once wore Yankees pinstripes are the much bigger trade deadline assets for the Mets than the few who had more forgettable stints in Milwaukee. Leading the way as two of the bigger trade chips on the Mets roster are Harrison Bader and Luis Severino.

A team that could use both happens to know the Yankees well. The Baltimore Orioles with some injuries in the rotation and Cedric Mullins struggling as the everyday center fielder are a match for both. 

What could a Mets-Orioles trade involving Luis Severino and Harrison Bader look like?

The stacked Orioles farm system should shrink a little this summer as the Orioles push hard to make the most of their big league team’s success. While neither Bader nor Severino will reward the Mets with one of those “can’t miss” Orioles prospects, they should be able to get a pretty sweet package for their best pitcher and a center fielder who has hit well and played Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Here’s what a potential trade for the pair could look like:

Mac Horvath is the biggest addition for the Mets farm system in this trade. Ranked only 11th in the Orioles farm system, we’d have to expect him to easily fall within the top ten for the Mets. Horvath was drafted in the second round last season. He has played a lot of second base and third base as well as some outfield. He has a good combination of power and speed. 

Despite some struggles in High-A this season with just a .229 batting average, he has 11 doubles, 5 home runs, and is a perfect 19 for 19 in stolen base attempts through 199 plate appearances. His 24 walks vs. 38 strikeouts is pretty good, too. This is a guy who hit 24 home runs for North Carolina in 60 games in 2023. Once he taps into the power, his stock should explode.

The Mets also pick up a right-handed pitcher, Alex Pham. Ranked 24th in the Orioles system, Pham has pitched to a 5.96 ERA this season in Double-A. The Orioles are giving him a chance to start more regularly this season and it hasn’t gone so perfectly. The ERA is high but so are the strikeouts at 10.9 per 9. Home runs have been a killer on him. Fixing this will be a game changer. He had an ERA under 3.00 in 2023.

An admittedly late addition to this trade, Billy Cook is the 30th ranked Orioles prospect but also having one of the better seasons. The 25-year-old is slashing .276/.385/.411 in Triple-A since his promotion. He smashed 24 home runs last year in Double-A while batting .251. A right-handed hitter who plays first base and all three outfield positions regularly plus some other spots on the infield, he'd be an intriguing addition and someone to add to the MLB roster immediately.

Finally, there’s Moises Chace. The freshly turned 21-year-old righty isn’t considered a top 30 Orioles prospect. However, he is having an excellent season in High-A and can’t be overlooked as additional pitching depth. Chace holds a strong 2.16 ERA through 33.1 innings. Walks have been a bit of an issue, however, he has kept with the theme of being a high strikeout guy. Batters have gone down at a rate of 12.7 per 9 against him.

The Orioles pick-up a pair of ex-Yankees in this trade who’d, ironically, be on a mission to catch them in the American League East or at the very least go to battle in the postseason. There’s little debate of how valuable Severino and Bader can be on their roster. The added bonus of them having a Yankees connection would just make it a little better.

As for the Mets, they fail to add another organization’s top 10 prospect for Severino but we’d have to expect Horvath to rate highly in their system. Having another third base option or maybe even a second baseman or outfielder for the future plus two more pitchers and a guy beginning to establish himself as a big league option would be rewarding.