The Cubs aren't getting Pete Alonso in a trade with this kind of thinking

A week before Thanksgiving and the New York Mets rumors are beginning to leak like a poorly sealed container of cranberry sauce or our stomachs through the top of our pants after the big meal is over. One of the more intriguing from this week was in regards to the Chicago Cubs and their pursuit of Pete Alonso. 

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Cubbies believe Christopher Morel could be used “as a centerpiece” in an Alonso trade. If true and not an early Thanksgiving pun of sorts, it does look like there is no way the Cubs are getting Alonso.

The Mets would be crazy to trade Pete Alonso with Christopher Morel as a centerpiece

Morel is like Jeff McNeil. Scratch that. He’s probably like J.D. Davis with speed except he never draws walks. Morel has played all over the field in his major league career and yet he’s tabbed as a player without a true position.

Through two major league seasons, Morel has slashed .241/.311/.471 with an average of 31 home runs per 162 games. It does come with 199 strikeouts on average. He has struck out in 31.6% of his career plate appearances. He's Davis but they only throw him fastballs.

All of this is done while roaming the field at Wrigley with subpar defensive numbers. See the Davis comparison yet? He has no true position.

This isn’t to negate what Morel does well. He hammered 26 home runs in only 429 plate appearances last year. The guy can hit the ball hard. At only 24-years-old, he could be on his way to some huge seasons.

The problem is obvious. What would the Mets want with him? In particular, are the years of control they’d get from him worth giving up Alonso?

We’ve been assuming if the Mets did trade Alonso they’d look for pitching and/or prospects. Most fans would prefer they just keep the slugging first baseman. Fortunately, if this is the kind of trade offers they’re receiving, we don’t have much to worry about. David Stearns would be insane to give up such an important player in a trade for Morel and a little bit more.