Mets Trade Rumors: Kris Bryant, Eugenio Suarez Deals Discussed During Offseason

The New York Mets are looking to upgrade at third base. 

They had trade talks with the Chicago Cubs regarding Kris Bryant this offseason and the Cincinnati Reds about Eugenio Suarez, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Both teams want top catching prospect Francisco Alvarez in return, and the Mets haven't budged so far. 

At the moment, J.D. Davis is the team's third baseman. The 27-year-old flashed in 2019, hitting .307 with 22 homers and 57 RBI, all of which were career highs. He didn't replicate that pace in the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, hitting just .247 with six homers and 19 RBI in 56 games. 

That offensive output would be more justifiable if Davis was a better fielder. But his defensive runs saved above average at third base was -9 in 2019 and -8 in 2020, per Baseball Reference. Put another way, he's a liability at the hot corner. 

Both Bryant and Suarez would be upgrades defensively and neither would be downgrades offensively. Bryant, 29, has had an up-and-down last three years, but in 2019 he blasted 31 dingers and added 77 RBI. The three-time All-Star and 2016 MVP is still one of baseball's better third basemen when he's healthy. 

Suarez, 29, had 15 homers and 38 RBI in 57 games last season, proving that his 49-homer, 103-RBI season in 2019 was no fluke. Oh, and he also hit 34 homers in 2018. He's emerged as one of the best power hitters at the hot corner in baseball, but while he isn't the best fielder—he had a -4 defensive runs saved above average in 2020—he's still better than Davis in that regard. 

Both are obvious upgrades, but is either worth Alvarez, considered the No. 48 prospect in baseball by MLB.com? No, probably not. The 19-year-old looks like he could be a star at the position, and at the very least is a player who could lock down the position for a decade. 

Third base may be a need, but it's not worth giving up a prospect with that upside.