The New York Mets never could have imagined third base would be this much of a weak point.
The Mets' 2024 starter, Mark Vientos, had an awful start to the season before landing on the injured list. Brett Baty hasn't been much better, though his defense is an improvement. And rookies Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña don't seem to be the answers, either.
If the Mets could have a do-over on the offseason, would they have thrown a bag of cash at Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman? Perhaps, but any inkling that the slugger might be available via trade is intriguing as well.
In fact, one baseball writer thinks there's a world in which the Mets could acquire Bregman from the 43-45 Red Sox for their second-half push.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer proposed a hypothetical trade in which the Mets would send designated hitter Starling Marte and right-handed pitching prospect Nolan McLean to Boston for Bregman, who has an opt-out this winter with two years, $80 million remaining on his contract.
"A trade for Bregman would fit the bill and would obviously turn one of the Mets' biggest weaknesses into a significant strength. And for this club more than most, money doesn't figure to be an object," Rymer wrote.
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"Whether the Mets would do such a deal is far from certain, but McLean is the kind of guy the Red Sox should want if they're going to offload Bregman. His slider alone is worth the price of admission, and he's used it to compile a 2.25 ERA in the high minors this season."
Bregman had a .938 OPS in 51 games before his quad strain, so if he comes back and is similarly productive, he's nearly certain to opt out. And there's talk he could return as soon as next week, before the whole league breaks for the All-Star events beginning on Jul. 14.
Boston holds the cards here, as they surely hope to get Bregman signed to an extension at some point before free agency begins. Only their admission that such an extension isn't going to happen can open the door to the Mets landing an unexpected superstar.
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