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23 hours ago
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Perhaps more than any other contender in Major League Baseball, the New York Mets need to add starting pitching at some point this season.
So far during David Stearns' tenure as president of baseball operations, the Mets have been reluctant to spend big on starting pitching, relying on their pitching infrastructure to rejuvenate cheap veterans.
That approach worked wonders in 2024, but so far this season, injuries have stood in the way. With Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Paul Blackburn on the shelf, the Mets' rotation is stripped to the studs, and though the results haven't been bad so far, it's hardly a group that inspires confidence.
To solidify their rotation with a more stable presence at the top, perhaps the Mets could land a Cy Young winner from a division rival.
During a recent live stream for Bleacher Report, content creator Tyler Ward proposed a hypothetical trade that would land Miami Marlins superstar Sandy Alcantara for a package that would include, among others, third baseman Brett Baty.
"If Peter Bendix is willing to trade in the NL East, the same way he did when parting ways with Jesús Luxardo to the Philadelphia Phillies... why not trade Sandy Alcantara... to a Mets team that desperately needs more ace-caliber arms at the forefront of their rotation?" Ward said.
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It's hardly a revolutionary idea to think that the Mets could trade for Alcantara. In fact, on Tuesday night, the team's two biggest stars, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, both told New York Post reporter Mike Puma they'd love to see the 29-year-old pitch for the Mets.
The Mets would have to give up a lot more than just Baty, as Alcantara's affordable $56 million extension runs through 2027 if you include the club option for that season. But if he's returned to the form he had in 2022 (2.28 ERA in 228 2/3 innings), he'll be well worth the risk.
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