MLB Rumors: Mets, Twins have begun preliminary talks about a Josh Donaldson trade
By Josh Hill
The New York Mets and Minnesota Twins are talking about a potential Josh Donaldson trade ahead of the deadline.
As the New York Mets look for help at third base, one potential solution could be playing in Minnesota right now.
Andy Martino from SNY reports that the Mets and Twins have begun preliminary trade talks around Josh Donaldson.
With the Twins in an absolute free fall, selling at the deadline is looking more like a necessity than an option. At the start of the season, Minnesota was projected to be a playoff team with a chance at snapping its historically bad postseason losing streak. Instead, the team is entering July talking with the Mets about dealing its starting third baseman.
Josh Donaldson Mets trade is in the works
A deal doesn’t appear to be anywhere near being complete, but it’s notable confirmation that the Mets are looking seriously at the third base trade market. For New York, finding that help at the corner of the infield is a key part of making sure its roster is ready for October baseball.
Donaldson isn’t the only target the Mets have on their list, as the team has been tied to a potential Kris Bryant trade dating back to last year’s trade deadline.
Mets tops prospects 2021 not expected to be part of a deal
Martino points out that the Mets want to be active at the deadline but do not want to give up top prospects or go into the luxury tax.
"Two factors will complicate the Mets’ efforts to make an impactful trade: They are not interested in trading the few top prospects they have in their system, according to sources. And they still prefer to remain under the $210 million luxury tax. By their internal calculations they are less than $10 million shy of that number."
Trading for Josh Donaldson might require both of those things to happen. Trading for Bryant would almost certainly mean both of those factors get violated.
New York has four prospects in the Top 100, which gives them a lot to work with but also plenty of hard decisions to make if a trade for a top player happens at the deadline. Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio are extremely steep prices to pay for Donaldson, and even for Bryant.
The Twins have Royce Lewis to play shortstop in the future, which means Mauricio wouldn’t be in the conversation, but the Mets are unlikely to entertain moving Matt Allan or Brett Baty for Donaldson either.
Nor should they.
But if Bryant were to become a real possibility, the Cubs would almost certainly demand at least one of the Mets top four prospects back. Baty would make the most sense, but the Mets might have to back off its hardline stance of not trading top prospects as the deadline water being to boil.