The New York Mets‘ top stars added fuel to growing speculation that this summer they could make one specific two-time All-Star the ace they badly need.
There are huge expectations for the Mets this season. The team showed they had far more talent than MLB analysts gave them credit for when they made a surprise run to the NLCS last year. Then, they added to what was already a huge payroll by signing four-time All-Star Juan Soto this offseason.
When they are healthy, they should have one of the best lineups in baseball. However, they have one glaring weakness: Their starting staff. While there was speculation they could target elite talent on the free agent trade market like Garrett Crochet, Blake Snell, and Corbin Burnes this winter, they chose to make smaller moves to add depth to their rotation.
Their rotation overachieved last season, but it is risky to rely on finding diamonds in the rough every year. That is why there has been continued speculation that the club will target a high-impact arm to be the undisputed ace they badly need to match the best pitchers on the top teams in the NL.
San Diego Padres star Dylan Cease is a name that has been heavily linked to the team in recent months. However, another pitcher that has been connected to the organization is Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. Well, the New York Post spoke to some of the Mets’ top stars about the possibility of adding the 2022 NL Cy Young winner. And they were very much in favor of the move.
- Sandy Alcantara stats (2023): 7-12 W-L, 4.14 ERA, 1.213 WHIP, 151 SO, 48 BB, 184.2 IP
Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor hoping New York Mets trade for Sandy Alcantara?
“It would be one of the best trades that we could have,” Juan Soto told the Post. “I know we have great pitching here, but adding a Cy Young winner like that would be huge… He is doing that on a team that has no serious chance to go to the playoffs, but he keeps trying and competing even without run support. Whenever he goes to a winning team, you are going to see what Sandy Alcantara is capable of.”
“… He’s really smart, he knows what he is doing, and he’s really brave. He’s not scared to come at people, and he is going to attack you when he does,” Soto added.
NL MVP runner-up Francisco Lindor claimed that bringing in the 29-year-old would be just as meaningful for the organization as the signing of Soto was this offseason. “It would almost be like adding Soto,” he said. “You add Soto, it’s going to help the team. You add Alcantara, and it’s going to help the team.”
However, the outfielder also mentioned a key point: “It’s going to take a lot to get him.” Fortunately for the Mets, their minor league system is much improved, and they have players that would certainly interest Miami. Alcantara is signed for this season and next at a very reasonable $17.3 million annually, then has a $21 million club option in 2027.
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