A Yankees-Mets trade that would cause riots at Citi Field

The New York Yankees have, since Opening Day, looked like one of, if not the best team in all of baseball. Their pitching has been unbelievable even without Gerrit Cole, and their lineup, led by Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, has been extraordinary as well.

While the Yankees are surefire World Series contenders, they're not a team without flaws. One major flaw that this Yankees team has is their first base production. Yankees first basemen have an 86 WRC+ and have been worth -0.3 fWAR this season, good for 23rd in the majors in both categories. Anthony Rizzo, a three-time All-Star, has played a major role in that as he has started 64 of New York's 67 games at the position.

Rizzo was once among the best first basemen in the majors, but he has been anything but that in the last couple of years. His struggled last season could at least partially be attributed to the fact that he was playing injured, but this season he appears to be healthy, yet is slashing .224/.285/.339 with seven home runs.

The Yankees could use some more length in their lineup, and would benefit from upgrading their first base spot. That's where the New York Mets come in. No, a Pete Alonso trade to the Bronx should not be seen as likely, but MLB insider Ken Rosenthal did throw his name out there in an article for The Athletic ($) as a player that the Yankees could look to target.

"A crosstown deal for the Mets’ Pete Alonso would invite a fan rebellion at Citi Field."

He's right. A large portion of the Mets fan base would lose their minds if David Stearns sent their beloved first baseman across town to compete for a World Series championship. However, as unlikely as it may be on paper, a trade cannot be completely ruled out until the trade deadline passes.

If this deal does take place, here's what one might look like.

A Mets-Yankees trade that would send Pete Alonso across town

Pete Alonso might be a free agent at the end of the year, but the Mets don't have to trade him. Trading him would mean he almost certainly would not come back on a long-term deal. With Steve Cohen's wallet at their disposal, the Mets are a team that can afford to see what Alonso commands on the open market and decide whether or not they should pay him, much like they did with Brandon Nimmo after the 2022 campaign.

For the Yankees to be the team to win the Alonso sweepstakes, they're going to have to overpay. It'll take a lot for the Mets to get rid of Alonso, one of the great power hitters in the game today, to begin with, but the crosstown rivals will have to outbid the field if they want him. Keep that in mind when looking at this mock trade.

Not only would the Yankees be receiving Alonso in this deal, but they'd be acquiring Jake Diekman as well. Diekman is far from a big name, but the Yankees could use another left-handed reliever as Caleb Ferguson has struggled. Diekman has held left-handed hitters to a .519 OPS this season which really helps in a division with left-handed boppers like Rafael Devers and Gunnar Henderson.

The return in this deal is centered around the Yankees' top pitching prospect Chase Hampton. The right-hander has yet to pitch this season as he has been sidelined with a shoulder injury, but is the No. 73 prospect on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list and is close to being MLB-ready. He'd be a tremendous centerpiece for the Mets in an Alonso deal.

The second prospect is Ben Rice, a catcher who is known more for his bat than his glove. He has 52 games of experience at first base in the minors, and could easily step in as the Alonso replacement right away if the Mets did trade him. He's on the cusp of being MLB-ready.

Lastly, Ron Marinaccio is a reliever who hasn't stuck in the majors with the Yankees but absolutely would with the Mets. The right-hander has a 1.42 ERA in nine appearances this season and a 2.86 ERA in 94 MLB appearances across parts of the last three seasons. The 28-year-old is under team control through the 2028 campaign, which can help a depleted Mets bullpen.

Again, it's extremely hard to envision a deal like this happening. The Mets would be hesitant to watch Alonso compete for a World Series in the Bronx, Mets fans would go ballistic, and the Yankees wouldn't want to meet a lofty asking price for a first baseman who is good, but a rental. However, if a deal were to come to fruition, this could make sense.