A Cubs-Mets trade for offensive firepower but doesn’t include Pete Alonso

When discussing New York Mets trade targets, Pete Alonso's name pops up most often, and for good reason. Alonso has established himself as arguably the premier power hitter in the game and is set to hit free agency at the end of the season. If the Mets aren't inclined to keep him, then they might as well get something for him, right?

Well, Alonso's case is much trickier than that. First, the Mets still believe they have a team capable of competing for the postseason. Whether that's actually the case remains to be seen, but that seems to be their belief. Second, Alonso is a player that the Mets wouldn't shy away from keeping long-term at the right price. They've shown that by reportedly offering him an extension last season. Trading him would almost certainly shut the door on a potential long-term deal being reached.

The Mets could trade Alonso, but that's far from a slam dunk even if they're out of contention. Just because Alonso is a tricky case, that does not mean that the Mets have nothing to deal at the trade deadline if they do sell. A player like J.D. Martinez would be made available in that case, and he'd make sense for a team like the Chicago Cubs.

A Cubs-Mets trade that sends J.D. Martinez to Chicago

While J.D. Martinez is not Pete Alonso, he's one of the best run producers in the game in his own right. He'd be a tremendous boost for this Cubs lineup and give them a great chance to win the NL Central this season. A trade could potentially look something like this.

In this deal, the Cubs would be landing a bat who could be a difference-maker in Martinez for an expendable piece in Ben Brown.

With Christopher Morel playing regularly at third base, the Cubs have the ability to add a player like Martinez who is only a DH at this stage of his career. While that'd mean less playing time for one of their outfielders like Ian Happ or Mike Tauchman or a position change for Michael Busch, players of Martinez's caliber don't come often.

Martinez can be a difference-making bat for Craig Counsell to plug right into the middle of the lineup., His season got off to a late start since he signed with the Mets late, but he's been everything that they could've hoped for thus far. He's slashing .315/.359/.466 with two home runs and nine RBI. He has an OPS over 1.000 in his last eight games, showing that he's really just getting started. He hit 33 home runs and drove in 103 runs last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers despite appearing in just 113 games.

Martinez is under contract for this season only, but is making a very reasonable $12 million with a large portion of it deferred. His cheap salary and game-changing offensive ability means that despite the fact that he's just a DH, the Cubs would have a ton of competition for his services. That could mean having to give up an arm like Ben Brown.

The Cubs acquired Brown at the 2022 trade deadline when they sent David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies and all he's done since is improve his stock. He worked his way up to the majors this season and has pitched well, posting a 3.57 ERA in 11 appearances (four starts).

While he's pitched well as a starter, the Cubs have been using him as a reliever lately due to their abundance of rotation arms. This isn't even including Jordan Wicks who is on the IL and one of their top prospects, Cade Horton, who is in AAA.

Trading a 24-year-old who is proving that he belongs at the MLB level is not an easy thing to do for a rental, but this Cubs team can make some noise with a bat like Martinez being added to the mix. Their rotation is a strength without Brown, and they're well-equipped in the future as well with guys like Horton, Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, and Javier Assad leading the way.

It might feel like a lot to give up, but Martinez's market should be robust if the Mets opt to sell. You have to give to get at the end of the day. Acquiring Martinez could give the Cubs the final push they need to make the postseason.