A Cubs-Mets trade that finally gets Pete Alonso in Chicago after NY’s awful start

Even with a comeback win in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Tigers, the New York Mets have been a disaster to begin the 2024 MLB season. The club's victory in the aforementioned game was their first of the year thus far, bringing them to a dismal 1-5. Fans knew that it could be a proverbial rebuilding year, but it appears that the bottom may have dropped out.

If that were to continue, it's hard not to think about Pete Alonso if you're a Mets fan. The Polar Bear is an icon at Citi Field but he's also slated to hit free agency this offseason. And as there has been since the offseason (and perhaps before), that has raised the question of if the Mets would be better off trading the Scott Boras client, getting prospects in return, then vying to re-sign him. Considering that an extension is still not in place and is unlikely to be given his representation, there's merit to a trade.

And in that light, the Chicago Cubs have been a consistent landing spot mentioned for Alonso. Jed Hoyer and the Cubs have been vocal about aggressive pursuits to upgrade the roster and are armed with one of the deeper farm systems in baseball. So it would be a great match, even for a rental until he hits free agency in the 2024-25 offseason.

Given the Mets' poor start, we could be trending more toward such a Cubs-Mets trade with Alonso at the center. But what would that deal look like? Let's dive into the details and see the type of package that Chicago could put together.

Cubs-Mets trade that gets Pete Alonso to Chicago

Let me go ahead an let you know, this is not going to be the trade package that most Mets fans would love to see. But Alonso is a rental and this package could, at least in theory, keep Steve Cohen and the New York brass in line to go for it and compete in the 2025 season even without Alonso in the lineup.

Mets fans are surely looking for some of the Cubs top prospects like Pete Crow-Armstrong or Cade Horton in this deal. But that's hard for me to imagine in this trade. It's a rental, and Chicago isn't going to mortgage their farm system to get a few months of Alonso only to then potentially lose him in free agency.

However, in the scenario where this awful Mets start continues and they are truly bottoming out in 2024, their hand could be forced with Alonso to accrue what they can for him. And in this trade, the Cubs would be sending a package that could help Cohen build a quality, potentially winning team for the 2025 season.

Wicks is the centerpiece of the deal, a Top 10 prospect for the Cubs who's already in the majors with eight starts under his belt, including one as part of the Opening Day roster and rotation. While he has an ERA over 4.00 to begin his career, the stuff has looked quite good and his value as a prospect hasn't diminished, which could make him a key cog in the Mets rotation for the future.

As for Canario, he may be outside the Cubs Top 10, but that speaks to the depth on the farm for Chicago. He posted an .866 OPS in Triple-A last season and has bettered that early in 2024 with a .996 mark in a five-game sample size. With a projected MLB call-up year of 2024, he could be ready to come to New York and set up the future of the Mets outfield.

Then there's Busch, who came over to Chicago from the Dodgers in a four-team trade this offseason. The 26-year-old is a former top prospect in LA who struggled in his first taste of the majors last year, but has started out strong with the Cubs. His infield versatility to play first, second or third could be huge for the Mets in building their roster for 2025 and having a movable, talented piece in the building like Busch.

Beyond that, though, we're looking at the Cubs really going for it with Alonso, giving them a huge right-handed power bat and sure answer at first base. Moreover, keeping PCA and Horton better sets up the future and, to be sure, Chicago would try to re-sign the Polar Bear in the offseason as well.

Does that mean this trade happens? It's undeniably too early to say. But if the rumblings truly get going once again about the Cubs pursuing Alonso before the trade deadline, this type of trade package is around what fans on both sides should expect.

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