Mets prospects aren't doing the team any favors in pursuit of Garrett Crochet

The New York Mets are one of several teams that are in on the biggest name on the trade market, Garrett Crochet. The fit is obvious. The Mets could've used more starting pitching last season, and with Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana - the team's three most consistent starters from last season - hitting free agency, the need for arms is more dire than ever.

Not only did Crochet pitch like one of the best pitchers in the American League for much of last season, but he's cheap financially and is under club control through the 2026 campaign. It'd cost a lot to trade for him, but it's not as if the Mets would have to guarantee him nine figures as they would if they wanted to sign a guy like Corbin Burnes.

For that exact reason, trading for Crochet will be extremely difficult. The Chicago White Sox waited until the offseason instead of parting with him at the trade deadline because they knew that more teams would enter the bidding. The Mets are an example of a team that was not linked to Crochet much at all in July but has been this offseason.

With the White Sox reportedly looking for position player prospects, the Mets look like an obvious match to get a deal done. Six of their top seven prospects according to MLB Pipeline are position players. The problem is, though, that those prospects didn't exactly do any favors over the course of the season to boost their trade value.

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Mets prospects might've hurt the team's chances of acquiring Garrett Crochet

If the Mets were to acquire Crochet, chances are, at least one of their top position player prospects would have to go the other way. Well, they didn't have the kind of season anyone dreams of.

The Mets top position player prospect, Jett Williams, was limited to just 33 games over the regular season and had a .656 OPS. He did play in the Arizona Fall League, but had a slightly disappointing .758 OPS in 21 games and suffered yet another injury in the AFL regular-season finale.

New York's second-best position player prospect, Drew Gilbert, was limited to 62 regular season games and had a .685 OPS. He too played in the AFL but is hitting under .200 and has posted a .747 OPS in 20 games. He didn't tear the cover off the ball in his first taste of Triple-A or in the AFL.

Even guys who appeared in the majors last season, Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio, who might've had a lot of value didn't exactly boost it this past season. Baty struggled mightily at the MLB level and lost his starting third base job to Mark Vientos. Mauricio missed the entire season due to a torn ACL.

Injuries obviously impacted the seasons that these young players had tremendously, but when they were on the field they were unimpressive at best. Can the White Sox overlook that? Absolutely. Williams and Gilbert, in particular, are seen as top 100 prospects by MLB Pipeline for a reason. Baty and Mauricio were once in the same boat as well.

They're all young and have tons of potential, but would the White Sox choose to prioritize making a deal to acquire one or more of them over a team with prospects who shined in 2024? It's entirely possible, but if the Mets do miss out, the seasons that these players had might've been why.