The Toronto Blue Jays clearly don’t want to trade first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but if they do, the New York Mets might be the most likely destination.
Unless Pete Alonso and the Mets can somehow reconcile their differences, the Mets will have an opening at first base entering 2025 Spring Training. Guerrero, meanwhile, will be a free agent at the end of the year, and he and the Blue Jays haven’t come close yet on a contract extension.
Entering his age-26 season, Guerrero is one of the top right-handed sluggers in the game. His youth makes him worth a potential fortune in free agency, and the Mets would certainly be a factor to sign him next winter if he hits the open market as scheduled.
What if the Mets wanted to jump the line to not only trade for Guerrero, but extend him long-term? Just how much prospect capital would the Blue Jays demand if they were resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t re-sign there?
In a recent YouTube video evaluating hypothetical online trade proposals, content creator Jim Riley estimated what it would take for the Mets to acquire Guerrero: infielder Ronny Mauricio, pitcher Blake Tidwell, pitcher Tylor Megill, and outfielder Drew Gilbert.
“Let’s keep Mauricio, let’s keep Tidwell. Let’s grab Megill, let’s grab Gilbert,” Riley said.
Gilbert is the Mets’s number-three prospect per MLB.com, with Mauricio sixth and Tidwell eighth. Megill has over 340 innings of experience at the big-league level with a 4.56 ERA over the last four seasons.
Though he thought that trade package might be enough to open discussions with the Blue Jays, Riley also cautioned the Mets against giving up anything for one extra year of Guerrero before he hits free agency.
“I maintain that the Mets don’t have to give up any prospects for Vladdy. If he’s not going to get an extension done, you just go out there and be the highest bidder in the offseason.”
It’s a risky gambit to trade for Guerrero when so much young talent is on the chopping block. But 2025 is a big year for the Mets, and if they’re willing to go rogue, perhaps such a blockbuster isn’t out of the question.
More MLB: Blue Jays named top ‘landing spot’ for projected $15M three-time Cy Young winner
