Grade the trade: Mets land two All-Stars in one hypothetical blockbuster deal with the White Sox

The 2024 season was a fun one for the New York Mets, but they shouldn't be satisfied with an NLCS berth. They got a taste of success, and now have the core and money in place to where they can compete for several years to come.

The easiest way for the Mets to build a World Series contender in 2025 is to spend a boatload of Steve Cohen's money in free agency. Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Pete Alonso are only some of many great free agents out there.

While the Mets will undoubtedly ink several free agents, they have the trade market to sift through as well. A team like the Chicago White Sox is eager to make rebuilding moves, trading players who can help a team like the Mets win now in exchange for prospects who might help more down the line.

With that in mind, Mike Axisa of CBS Sports pitched a mock trade involving the Mets and White Sox which would send Chicago's two best players — Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. — to Queens.

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Grading a mock trade that sends two stars from the White Sox to the Mets

The deal Axisa lays out is as follows:

Axisa didn't go into detail about who the two other players are, so depending on who they are, the trade would be impacted. Still, it's hard not to love this from a Mets' perspective.

In this deal, the Mets would land Garrett Crochet — a 25-year-old ace who is under club control through the 2026 campaign. His injury history is a bit worrisome, but Crochet proved this past season that his ceiling is as high as pretty much any starting pitcher in the game. A Mets team that has Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, and Jose Quintana currently in free agency absolutely should be doing their best to acquire an arm like Crochet to lead their rotation for years to come.

Along with Crochet, the Mets would acquire Luis Robert Jr., a player who came crashing down to earth after his breakout 2023 campaign. Robert was limited to just 100 games this past season and struggled in those games (which is why he wasn't traded at the trade deadline), but we saw in 2023 just how electric of a player he can be. He was an All-Star, hit 38 home runs, stole 20 bases, and won a Gold Glove in center field. With the Mets having a need in center field even if they sign Juan Soto, adding a player like Robert, who is under club control through the 2027 campaign, is a no-brainer.

It's easy to love this on the Mets' side, and it's safe to wonder why the White Sox would ever consider this. Luisangel Acuña being the brother of Ronald Acuña Jr. is fun, and he performed admirably in his 14-game stint with the Mets when they really needed him in September, but his stock fell dramatically during the season when he struggled in a large sample at the Triple-A level. He's currently considered the team's No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He'd be a solid complimentary piece for the White Sox to consider, but his overall down year and the fact that he only has one more option left make him a bad headliner.

The other known piece in this deal going to the South Side would be Brett Baty, a player who was once considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball. Baty has gotten chances at regular playing time at third base for the Mets in each of the last two seasons, but as his career .215/.282/.325 slash line would suggest, it has not gone well. Baty has flashed some upside over his brief MLB career and did improve dramatically defensively at the hot corner, but again, it's hard to see him being considered a headliner in a deal that brings Robert and Crochet back. He'd likely perform better in an environment with less pressure and more guaranteed playing time, but what we've seen from Baty at the plate at the MLB level has not been pretty for the most part. Baty, like Acuña, also has just one more minor league option.

What makes or breaks this deal from Chicago's perspective is who New York's other two players would be. If they're top prospects, that makes it a lot more interesting. If they aren't, the White Sox have no business doing this for even one of Crochet or Robert, let alone both.

This deal is a no-brainer for the Mets. They get two young (albeit risky) stars with club control without parting with guys like Brandon Sproat, Drew Gilbert, Jett Williams, or Carson Benge. It's hard to see why the White Sox would consider this without multiple of those prospects coming back, but we've seen Chris Getz make some questionable deals before.

New York Mets trade grade: A
Chicago White Sox trade grade: D