MLB Rumors: This Red Sox-Mets trade could make both teams happy

MLB rumors continue to swirl leading up to the trade deadline and one possible deal between the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox makes perfect sense.

Given their spot atop the NL East, the New York Mets figure to be active at the MLB Trade Deadline by most prognostications, most likely adding another big bat and trying to find stability at catcher as their biggest priorities (though not the only ones). The question is which players they’ll walk away with once the Aug. 2 deadline passes.

One potential trade partner often floated around is the Boston Red Sox, an MLB Trade Deadline curiosity in their own right. It seems as if no one knows for sure if the club will be buyers or sellers at the deadline, which adds to the complications of trying to work out potential deals involving Boston.

However, if they are willing to sell, there’s one deal being floated around that would work out extremely well for both the Mets and the Red Sox.

MLB Rumors: Red Sox sending J.D. Martinez, Christian Vazquez to Mets would make perfect sense

Andy Martino of SNY noted that Boston has long been fans of 22-year-old prospect Mark Vientos, a positionally versatile player currently in Triple-A. Given what New York is in the market for primarily, a swap including Vientos to the Red Sox with J.D. Martinez and Christian Vazquez going to the Mets would seemingly be perfect.

Martinez, though primarily a DH in his mid-30s at this point, is seen as one of the most likely assets for Boston to trade if they sell at the deadline (or perhaps even if they don’t) given that they could lose him this offseason for nothing. Meanwhile, Vazquez is a bit more complicated as he would likely only be on the move if Boston was invested in selling for future assets.

With the Red Sox toeing that line and just a few days until the trade deadline, perhaps a proposal that would land them the No. 5 prospect in the Mets organization would be enough to compel them to sell, particularly if it’s true that they’ve been fans of Vientos’ in the past.

As for New York, the two veterans would fill their two biggest needs. Even as an older player, Martinez has still been a force with the bat, hitting over .300 this season and still showing a bit of pop. Vazquez, while not an elite defensive catcher, is solid and has proven to be a good bat as well.

Nothing is certain — a refrain at this type of year — but it’s hard not to look at this trade and not think that it would be an ideal outcome for both clubs.