FanSided’s Mets trade proposal is about the best we could hope to get for Pete Alonso

The New York Mets aren’t in such a bad situation with Pete Alonso as some may make you believe. If no one meets their contract demands, the Mets can easily walk away with draft pick compensation when he inevitably rejects the qualifying offer. It’s not the best conclusion to Alonso’s tenure. Most of us would prefer he stays and mostly with a competitive Mets team that surprises us over the next few weeks and buys at the trade deadline.

FanSided’s Zach Rotman dove headfirst into one of the frightening scenarios where Alonso doesn’t have to pack a moving box. The New York Yankees are a match in a potential trade. Anthony Rizzo hasn’t been the defensive stalwart he was in the past nor is he hitting all that much. Naturally, ideas of what it would take for the Yankees to pluck him away from the Mets are bound to happen.

The proposed trade sends Alonso, reliever Jake Diekman, and cash to the Yankees for pitching prospect Chase Hampton, catcher/first base prospect Ben Rice, and reliever Ron Marinaccio.

This is probably the best type of offer the Mets could get for Pete Alonso

The cash considerations could vary. Even if the Mets picked up the remainder of Alonso’s salary which would be around $10 million, acquiring the Yankees' number three prospect, Chase Hampton, feels like a big win. Ranked as the 73rd best in Major League Baseball according to MLB Pipeline, he is two spots higher than Ryan Clifford and four above Luisangel Acuna.

Taken in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, Hampton has been sidelined this season with a UCL sprain. A quick riser who made 11 starts in Double-A last season, the 22-year-old would be right there among the best prospects for the Mets.

Rice, who ranks 13th in the Yankees system, gives them a bopper to potentially contend for some starts at first base in the near future. The ability to catch would be a bonus to have on the roster.

Cleverly, the deal swaps a pair of relievers. The Yankees could use another lefty in Diekman and Marinaccio is a solid controllable righty for the Mets to add to their bullpen. The Yankees lose the ability to send him to the minor leagues again after this season unless he passes through waivers. Considering how successful he has been at the major league level, the Mets would be first in line to make a claim.

The Mets aren’t going to get a top 50 prospect for Alonso. Someone within the next 25 best, on the other hand, might be attainable. Hampton fits this. Given his current injury, the Yankees might not hug him too tightly. The Mets also pick up a bat and a bullpen arm to immediately inject onto the MLB roster. It's about as good as it could realistically get.

As Rotman notes, it’s probably not a deal we’d see simply because the Mets and Yankees don’t often strike such major transactions. Luis Torrens is the type of player we see traded from one to the other.

Several noteworthy first basemen could be available in trades this summer. While we might be hesitant to welcome an Alonso trade to the Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays would be far less likely to send Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to their division rival.