Red Sox, Cubs trade offers could hinge on Dominic Smith

The biggest New York Mets rumors over the weekend had to do with a pair of similar trade packages. Each would bring the Mets a new catcher with the other part including either a DH option or reliever.

Rising Apple’s Zach Rotman covered the two Mets rumors involving the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs then examined which would be better for the Mets. With each club having shown an interest in Dominic Smith, perhaps he is the key to getting one of those deals done.

From a viewpoint in Flushing, it’s almost too tempting not to accept whichever deal includes Smith.

Mets rumors: Red Sox, Cubs could get a deal done if they take Dominic Smith

Mets fans don’t have a high opinion of Smith any longer. In 2019 and 2020, he was one of the better hitters on the team; more so in 2020 when he actually received MVP consideration so mild you’d barely need a sip of water to down a few wings.

Mets rumors involving Smith as a potential trade chip have been out there before, during, and after his successful years with the ball club. He was one of last winter’s most obvious players to trade and nearly did get sent to the San Diego Padres.

Interest in Smith is rather faint. Now a lifetime .246/.308/.424 hitter with sub-optimal power at first base, any team willing to take him in a trade as opposed to a legitimate prospect should be the better deal.

That’s not to say the Red Sox or Cubs get favoritism just because they do take Smith. The whole trade matters. Each club could use similar prospects. The Red Sox, however, with their top prospect Tristan Casas as a first baseman, might have less of a need to even think about taking on the Dominic Smith Project.

Mets rumors took a backseat over the weekend in favor of the team’s bigger headline: they swept the Miami Marlins. This came after a two-game sweep versus the New York Yankees in a playoff-like atmosphere at Citi Field.

Even with the winning, it’s clear the Mets still need to add some pieces.