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Mets Trade Rumors: NY Looking to Avoid Dealing Francisco Alvarez, More Top Prospects
July 6, 2021
The New York Mets are currently atop the crowded NL East and are likely to be buyers ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline. But don't expect them to give away any top prospects in their pursuit of additional help.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, "the Mets do not want to trade catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty, pitcher Matt Allan, third baseman Mark Vientos, shortstop Ronny Mauricio or others in their Top 10 list."
MLB.com ranks Alvarez as the No. 34 prospect in baseball, while Mauricio is No. 50, Allan is No. 58 and Baty is No. 73. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, pitcher J.T. Ginn, outfielder Khalil Lee, Vientos, outfielder Alex Ramirez and pitcher Thomas Szapucki round out the team's top 10 prospects, per MLB.com.
"I don't consider anyone untouchable, but realistically, there's gonna be guys that we definitely prioritize and see as a big part of the future of the Mets," acting general manager Zack Scott told reporters Monday.
As Martino noted, Mauricio "would seem the most moveable" given the presence of Francisco Lindor at shortstop, though he added that the team is "increasingly optimistic that he will develop enough power to play a corner position in the major leagues."
The Mets gave up Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene to acquire Lindor and pitcher Carlos Carrasco this offseason before signing the 27-year-old Lindor to a 10-year, $341 million contract extension.
The shortstop position won't be vacant at Citi Field for some time. But if Mauricio can play a different position in the majors, it will be a moot point.
Regardless, the 44-37 Mets have other needs that could bolster their chances for a playoff push. According to Martino, they are considering Minnesota Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson, while Scott told reporters Monday that adding depth to the starting rotation would make sense given the team's injuries at the position.
"It’s like we've gone the reverse of where we were earlier, where we had several position player injuries early ... and had some upgrade opportunities there," he said. "I think the same thing could be said, especially for the starting pitchers. There's uncertainty, so we need to make sure we put our best foot forward there."