3 moves the NY Mets need to make next after signing Luis Severino
By James Nolan
2. Trade Luisangel Acuna for Corbin Burnes
If the Mets do pull off the signing of Yamamoto, they shouldn’t stop there. Severino hasn’t started over 30 games since 2018. With Stearns coming to the Mets from the Milwaukee Brewers, they should try to take one more asset from their organization.
For three consecutive seasons, Corbin Burnes has been one of the best starters in the National League. In 2021 he captured the NL Cy Young award after striking out 234 and holding a league-leading 2.43 ERA.
New York has a ton of intriguing prospects in their farm system. One of those prospects is Luisangel Acuna, the 21-year-old middle infielder. In 2023, the Mets prospect swiped a total of 57 bases in the minors. He finished with a .294 batting average, to go along with a .359 on-base percentage.
With Lindor and Jeff McNeil being up the middle for next season, it doesn’t provide a clear path for Acuna. The organization also has high hopes for Jett Williams to become the second baseman, as he won the Mets Minor League Player of the Year Award.
Pitching wins championships in baseball, and that’s especially true for the Mets. The last time Queens had a World Series game in 2015, the team was built off its starting rotation. Signing Yamamoto and trading for Burnes would give the Mets the best rotation in baseball.
As talented as Acuna is, including him as the headliner for a trade package to acquire Burnes could be the best move to make.
The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies are loaded. They’re not going anywhere, which means the Mets need a lot to get into the NL East action. A rotation led by Senga, Yamamoto, and Burnes would be elite. Last season they went after pitchers well past their prime, those three are just entering theirs.
Severino would be slated as the fourth if the Mets made these moves, which would be the most ideal scenario. If things don’t work out, they have flexibility considering he’s on a one-year deal. They could always catch that lighting in a bottle though, which would be the best-case scenario.
With a lot of offseason left, the Mets have time to build up their roster still. Rumors of Burnes being traded have been spurring for a few seasons now. If he’s truly on the trade block, Stearns should be calling the Brewers.