A week or so ago I heard rumors that the Mets were a name to watch in the trade market for the Royals. I didn’t jump to write anything then, out of respect for where I heard it from. However, on Monday, David Lesky tweeted out similar news. With those whispers now out in the Twitterverse, it seems like a perfect time to look more closely at what a trade with the Mets may look like. The Mets, of course, made much larger news at this week’s Winter Meetings with they signed Juan Soto to the largest contract in professional sports history.

With Soto now on the books, the Mets will likely begin shifting their attention to other elements of the offseason. The Mets also match up surprisingly well with the Royals in a trade for numerous reasons. First and foremost, the Mets are looking to mix up their MLB roster. Soto is the start, but this is a team that spent exorbitantly in recent years with no World Series rings to show for it. New York’s roster also features a mixture of young, upside talent alongside proven veterans. There are a lot of different routes a trade can go. Who might the Royals consider when trading with New York?

Evaluating the Royals’ options in a trade with the Mets

The first name that makes the most sense is third baseman Brett Baty. It shouldn’t be seen as a coincidence that news broke three days ago that the Mets were taking calls on Baty. Just connecting the dots, that news alongside the Royals and Mets discussion rumors likely go hand-in-hand. At now 25 years old and parts of three seasons in, Baty has yet to prove himself as an everyday Major Leaguer. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and eventually became a Top Prospect in the Mets’ system. That prospect pedigree has turned into a .215/.282/.325 slash line in 169 MLB games played.

Baty has been better at Triple-A, however. In 2024 he slashed .252/.349/.504 with 16 home runs. He shouldn’t be seen as any sort of impact upgrade in the heart of the order, but the potential certainly exists for Baty to finally figure it out at the Major League level. Others in the Mets organization that make sense in a trade are outfielder Starling Marte and veteran utility man, Jeff McNeil. Brandon Nimmo is an intriguing name as well but is also a name the Mets will look to hang on to for next season and beyond.

Marte is no spring chicken at 36 years old. He’s still productive, however, and finished 2024 with a 104 wRC+. His power is all but gone, evidenced by a .119 ISO last season, but Marte doesn’t strike out too much and hits for a good average. McNeil is younger at 32 years old. He offers a bit more power but nothing prodigious in nature. McNeil is coming off a down year that saw him slash .238/.308/.384. He makes a ton of contact, rarely strikes out, and plays all over the field. Those three things are sure to pique the Royals’ interest. McNeil played left field, right field, and second base last season. He’s also played third base in his career but hasn’t played there extensively since 2020.

What sort of trade return are we talking about here?

The plus side about the uncertainty that comes with both Baty and McNeil — or the age factor that comes with Marte — is that it will likely drive the cost down for Kansas City. The Mets can hardly expect a premium return in parting with any of the three names above. Instead, let’s look at the trade in pieces. Baty offers the most future upside but has been a severe disappointment so far. Sound familiar? A swap of Baty for a mixture of Tyler Gentry, Nick Loftin, and Nick Pratto could make a lot of sense. All three players have been unable to stick in the Major Leagues, similar to Baty, even if the sample size is much smaller for all three.

Baty for Pratto and Loftin makes some sense. Now add in McNeil or Marte and what becomes of that return? McNeil is by far the more attractive piece for the Royals. Marte, as mentioned previously, has little power remaining and enters his age-37 season in 2025. He will also cost $20 million next season. Perhaps the Mets take some of that money in the deal, but adding in a middle-tier prospect like Peyton Wilson or Tyson Guerrero may be enough to settle a trade for Baty and Marte.

McNeil comes with more relative youth. He’s also under contract for three more seasons at $15.75m each. That’s three years, $47 million. If the Royals are willing to take on that salary and Baty, it could entice the Mets to make the deal at a similar cost to a Marte deal. Even if McNeil proves to be more expensive than Marte, sending Pratto, Loftin, and Hunter Owen may be enough to make it happen. Again, it depends on the dollars involved and how much moves along to Kansas City.