A Cubs-Mets trade for Pete Alonso thanks to this Pete Crow-Armstrong scouting report
Before we dive into this hypothetical trade, let's preface a few things.
For the New York Mets to deal Pete Alonso, they will need to fall completely out of postseason contention. Entering today, June 27, they're 39-39, only 1.5 games out of the last NL Wild Card spot. They're firmly in contention as of today.
For Alonso to be dealt, they would need to have nearly a 0 percent chance of making the postseason by around mid-July. If that's the case, the Mets could shop Alonso and the Chicago Cubs are the perfect place to deal him.
A Cubs-Mets trade that finally brings Pete Alonso to Wrigley Field
Pete Crow-Armstrong was supposed to be a hugely impactful bat for the Cubs this year, but rival scouts don't seem to think that he's all that just yet.
From Bob Nightengale's latest report for USA Today:
"MLB scouts have insisted all season that Chicago Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong may not be the impact bat that’s been hyped, and so far they’ve been proved correct. He’s hitting .200 with a .570 OPS."
With PCA struggling as bad as he is at the plate, the Cubs desperately need offensive production at first base and there isn't a better trade target for the Cubs than the Mets superstar, Pete Alonso.
The Cubs would need to send quite the haul over to the Big Apple in order to lure their top power bat away from the Mets.
James Triantos, Chicago's 5th ranked prospect, is a well-rounded prospect that is tearing up Double-A this season. He's slashing .319/.352/.470 with an OPS over .800. He's destined to be called up to Triple-A in the near future and could be an impactful big leaguer early next season.
Brandon Birdsell and Brennen Davis are two backend top 30 prospects for the Cubs, but they're no pushover prospects. Both are incredibly talented.
Davis is a 24 year old outfielder that could use a fresh start in a new organization. He may benefit the most from this trade, as he's incredibly talented but could really use a change of scenery to get his career turned back around.
Brando Birdsell isn't having the same issues as Davis. Birdsell is pitching quite well in Double-A this season. The righty has an impressive four-pitch mix that he commands well.
For the Cubs, this deal would bring them one step closer to making the postseason and being the World Series contender that they hope to be.
For the Mets, again, it only makes sense if they fall out of contention. But if they do, this kind of return in exchange for half a season of Alonso makes perfect sense.
As of now, there is no merit to this trade. It has an almost zero percent chance of happening. If the Cubs and Mets are to flip places in the standings by July 30th, check back in with it and we could have ourselves a realistic idea to put forward.