Mets trade update on Red Sox outfielders is bad news amid bad fits

Contributor
Matt Sullivan
Mets trade update on Red Sox outfielders is bad news amid bad fits image

The New York Mets are scouring the market for outfield additions after they lost out on Kyle Tucker to the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter.

While they were beaten by $20 million, the Mets still came up short and now have a dire need in the outfield. While Cody Bellinger would make sense, he's not the best option, thanks to the strong offer from the New York Yankees, which the Mets likely won't beat.

But the need is still very real, and the Boston Red Sox and their willingness to move an outfielder make a lot of sense. But, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic poured cold water on such a trade, as the Mets don't have a good fit with the Red Sox to make this deal work.

Why a Mets-Red Sox trade wouldn't work

"A trade for one of the Red Sox's outfielders is another possibility," Rosenthal writes, "though the Mets do not appear positioned to fill the Sox's need at second or third base."

The Red Sox are looking to land another infielder, and one who plays second or third base. While the Mets could look to trade Mark Vientos or Luisangel Acuna for one of the Red Sox outfielders, they likely wouldn't get the Red Sox to bite.

Only Brett Baty would draw serious interest, but then the Red Sox would have a dire need at the position, and wouldn't be upgrading their roster.

So, why not use one of their young starting pitchers to make a trade work? Well, the Red Sox have 10 Major League-caliber starters on the roster, and have zero need for starting pitching at this point.

More: Mets get bad news on free-agent Cody Bellinger amid strong Yankees offer

Realistically, the only way the Red Sox make a trade is if they're getting a quality infielder to fill their second or third base opening. And the Mets don't have a good fit.

While the Mets would make a lot of sense as a landing spot for someone like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, or Ceddane Rafaela, they don't have the players needed to swing a trade with the Red Sox.

Simply put, the Mets don't have a trade fit with Boston this offseason. They're more likely to explore other options, which further nails home how the loss of Tucker has significantly hurt the Mets' roster construction this winter.

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