MLB insider surprisingly names this player as Mets' best trade chip

Feinsand's pick? Infielder Ronny Mauricio, who is under team control until 2029.

"The Mets have a glut of young infielders, with Mauricio joining Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña vying for playing time," Feinsand wrote. "The bullpen and rotation figure to be the two areas for the Mets to upgrade in the coming days, and while the farm system has some interesting prospects, an MLB-ready player such as Mauricio may have more appeal."

Mauricio's current numbers aren't the most impressive, as he's hitting just .224/.297/.374 with a 91 wRC+ (100 is considered league average) in 34 games. However, the 24-year-old passes the eye test with flying colors, as he regularly hits the ball hard while having the mobility to not only wreak havoc on the basepaths, but also play a multitude of important defensive positions, including shortstop.

Although trading Mauricio and his tantalizing upside would be a bitter pill to swallow, he may bring the best return out of the Baby Mets. Baty's recent emergence at third base makes him integral to the team in its current state, which likely rules him out; Vientos's breakout season in 2024 and subsequent struggles this year makes him difficult to gauge, and Acuña has a similar, but arguably lesser, profile than Mauricio.

While Stearns has labeled prospects like Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, and Nolan McLean as untouchable, it appears that the current crop of Mets prospects are indeed available for the right player. Stearns himself even stated that if New York were to go after starting pitching, he would zone in on the top-tier arms, which would likely require Mauricio or any of the other three of Baty, Vientos, and Acuña.

Starting pitching is not the Mets' top priority, though; rather, it is the bullpen and possibly a center fielder. According to Pat Ragazzo of On SI, New York has checked in on center fielder Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox, who has enough pedigree to warrant a prospect like Mauricio in return.

The Mets began their deadline activity by acquiring southpaw reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles, and plenty of other moves will be on the way. If New York intends to go big-game hunting like many reports have indicated, expect Mauricio's name to pop up in the coming days.