Mets Linked to Trade With Pirates to Land All-Star From Pittsburgh

It’s almost guaranteed that multiple teams around Major League Baseball will attempt to make blockbuster deals during the offseason, with the New York Mets expected to be at the top of that list. For the Pittsburgh Pirates, that could mean moving on from some of their players in a deal with New York.

When examining a potential trade for the Mets and Pirates to consider, John Wolff of Rising Apple recently proposed an interesting one that would send Mitch Keller to the Mets. Keller has been floated in trade rumors in recent years, but obviously has yet to be dealt.

“Mitch Keller wrapped up 2025 with a 4.19 ERA, 171 hits allowed, 150 strikeouts, and a 102 ERA+ across 176.1 innings, marking his fourth straight season with more than 30 starts. That kind of durability checks a major box for the Mets, who still need steady innings even if the stuff profiles more in the mid to low-tier range. He fits the mold of what they already have, which makes the upside question part of the evaluation.

“Pittsburgh has a real need for a veteran bat to stabilize second base, so McNeil fits their search. The contract is the tricky part. Keller is owed $16, $18, and $20 million over the next three seasons, and while the first year lines up cleanly with McNeil, the back end of that deal carries risk. If the Mets were to take on those seasons, Pittsburgh would have to add more to make it worthwhile,” he wrote.

The one positive in a deal with the Mets is that, despite the fact that Pittsburgh would be sending him to a team in the National League, the Mets also have one of the better farm systems in baseball.

If the Pirates can find a way to get any one of those top prospects, they should feel rather confident in the return they get.

Unfortunately, I'm a bit uncertain whether Keller warrants any decent return, but he's still a No. 3 or No. 4 starter, and typically those guys aren't cheap.

Not to say that he's going to require the Mets’ best prospect, but I could see someone in the top 10.