The New York Mets reportedly checked in on Toronto Blue Jays’ superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as they begin looking for options outside of Pete Alonso to cover them at first base. Andy Martino was first on the report but also mentioned that a trade is still highly unlikely to go down, indicating that this won’t occur in the winter. That being said if the Blue Jays fail to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. before the start of Spring Training, he’ll 100% go to free agency, and in that fantasy world where they pull the trigger on a franchise-altering trade, what would the Mets have to give up for his services?
While it would be just one season of Guerrero, the price a team would pay to acquire him would likely be sky-high, and this mock trade looks to blow Toronto away in order to complete an insane offseason for the Mets.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Heads to Mets in 4-For-1 Mock Blockbuster
With a 165 wRC+ and 30 home runs across 159 games, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an insane season for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024, which should only motivate them to keep him long-term. With the money they’ve thrown around over the last two winters, they have no excuse not to make a lucrative offer to their franchise icon, but if they decide to trade him, the Mets would be gutting their farm system to land him.
- SS Jett Williams
- RHP Jonah Tong
- SS Luisangel Acuña
- RHP Tylor Megill
The Toronto Blue Jays would be getting two top-100 prospects in Jett Williams and Jonah Tong, both of whom could make their MLB debuts in late 2025 or early 2026. They have tons of upside, are younger than most prospects at their respective levels, and could be impact cornerstones for the Blue Jays franchise in the absence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Jonah Tong was one of the best pitchers in Minor League Baseball last season, as he had the second-best FIP (2.33) and sixth-best strikeout rate (34.2%) among pitchers with at least 100 IP. His excellent four-seam fastball doesn’t have overpowering velocity but does have insane vertical movement that is paired with an array of secondary weapons that can deceive hitters and generate even more whiffs.
As for Jett Williams, he didn’t have an incredible 2024 season, but that was due to injuries that limited him to just 33 MiLB games where he failed to hit a HR and only had a 97 wRC+. He can play CF, SS, and 2B at a pretty solid level, and the Blue Jays can have him settle in the middle infield assuming that Bo Bichette also departs in this scenario. With Andres Gimenez at 2B, they’d have a strong defensive infield and could continue being a top-flight defensive team.
While Williams gets more MiLB reps and prepares himself for a trip to the big leagues, Luisangel Acuña is an excellent stopgap option with upside.
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I was far more pessimistic of his profile when he came up as he only hits the ball hard when it’s on the ground, and I seriously doubt he’s an above-average hitter at the next level, but he’s still valuable in other areas. His 87 projected wRC+ is underwhelming, but with his excellent baserunning abilities and brilliant defense at shortstop, Toronto could plug him in at SS and have an elite defensive infield.
Building up his versatility would be wise, and the Mets have had him play more centerfield in his time at Triple-A to help him become a utility option. If Acuña sticks as a ~90 wRC+ shortstop with an excellent glove and baserunning abilities, the Blue Jays could always shuffle Jett Williams to another position like third base. He’s a low-ceiling player, but Luisangel Acuna can be a big leaguer for a long time thanks to his versatility, speed, and glove.
As for Tylor Megill, the Mets quietly made some pretty big changes with him last year that the Blue Jays should identify and benefit from. Similar to how the Padres quickly caught onto what the Yankees did with Michael King and capitalized, Toronto could get a starter who is seen as nothing more than a backend option and convert him into a solid rotation piece.
Last season, Megill posted his best Stuff+ score (108) as he displayed an ability to throw six different pitches including a new sinker that had plenty of success. He allowed a career-low 0.92 HR/9 while striking out a career-best 27% of batters faced, posting a 4.04 ERA with a 3.55 FIP across 78 innings. After debuting his sinker in a start against the Atlanta Braves when he returned to Queens in late July, he posted a 3.00 ERA with a 3.76 FIP, and he has three years of team control left.
It’s a high price for the Mets to pay, as they’re losing arguably their best position player and pitching prospects, but in a deal like this, the Blue Jays are going to ask for a lot. Furthermore, the loss of Megill directly impacts their rotation as he might be one of their five best options as currently constructed, and at the very least would be valuable to a bullpen that could use another weapon to become a stout unit.
Luisangel Acuña is likely a player the Mets can stomach to lose given the duo of Francisco Lindor at SS and Mark Vientos at 3B, leaving Jeff McNeil to play 2B, but he’s still a solid get for a team that could use a shortstop. The Mets get a superstar, the Blue Jays can restart and put behind them an era defined by failure and unrealized potential, with some fun young players in hand to usher in a new era.