Josh Donaldson was almost traded to the Mets in 2021

Before he was a member of the New York Yankees, Josh Donaldson was nearly a member of the New York Mets. This, according to SNY’s Andy Martino, is one of those Mets rumors that comes out long after the trade almost happened.

It’s not a surprise to hear the Mets nearly landed Donaldson at last year’s trade deadline. As the offense was struggling and the team was looking for some infield help, Donaldson was a name many people speculated as an option for New York.

Along with someone like pitcher Jose Berrios, there were plenty of Mets rumors to support this. No deal was ever done. Donaldson has now made his way to New York—just a different borough.

Mets rumors: What if Josh Donaldson had joined the club in 2021?

It was probably either going to be Donaldson or Javier Baez. As Martino continued in his tweet, the team would have also picked up Ben Rortvedt whose name would have fans in New York questioning whether or not they forgot a vowel.

You’ll probably remember that in July of 2021 the biggest need for the team was a power bat and a starting pitcher. The Mets ended up filling those needs with Baez, Rich Hill, and even Trevor Williams to an extent. Only Williams remains with the team. His role will likely put him as the bullpen’s long man.

Add Donaldson into the mix last season and I’m not sure things go much better than they did. We wouldn’t have had the whole thumbs-down story to discuss. The Mets would have already had their third baseman for the 2022 season but I’m sure many wouldn’t have been too happy about it. I recall many Mets fans wanting to steer clear of him even at the chance of acquiring Berrios in the deal, too.

Donaldson wouldn’t have fit in real well with the types of players the Mets have continually added and the length of contracts. It would seem the organization doesn’t want huge contracts that go on too long. They have yet to make any significant addition that falls into the albatross category as Donaldson’s could be perceived.

Recent Mets history would have looked much different with Donaldson on the team in 2021 instead of Baez. The record, however, wouldn’t have been much different.