Former National League All-Star outfielder Cliff Floyd played for the New York Mets for four seasons, from 2003 through 2006. Now, Floyd is pushing an idea for a trade that he says the Mets should make now that they have signed former Toronto Blue Jays free agent infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.
“I think the next move is going out and getting a starting pitcher,” Floyd said on an MLB Network broadcast Monday. “I don’t know if you want to sign one or trade for one — but I actually do have a trade proposal.”
The Mets have made moves to add to their bullpen, which suffered a blow when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed closer Edwin Diaz for three years and $69 million back in December. But New York signed former New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams as well as another ex-Yankee, setup man Luke Weaver.
But the Amazins starting rotation remains somewhat less than amazing, with no significant additions yet, leaving 32-year-old Kodai Senga as the closest thing to a staff ace the Mets have. Senga struggled so badly last season that in September, he voluntarily accepted a demotion to New York’s Triple-A Syracuse affiliate, where he hoped to work out his mound issues.
Floyd’s idea would bring a much more proven staff ace to Citi Field — but the price would be steep: a package headed by the Mets’ No. 4 overall prospect, and second-ranked pitching prospect per MLB Pipeline, 22-year-old Jonah Tong.
More MLB: Mets Cut Ties With Hall of Famer’s Lefty-Swinging Son
“You look at the Brewers, who are always trying not to pay guys a lot of money,” Floyd said on Monday. “You target that starter from Milwaukee.”
The target for the Mets, according to Floyd, is eight-year veteran and two-time All-Star Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Peralta, who won 17 games with a 2.70 ERA for the team that compiled the best record in baseball last year, will be playing the final year of his $15.5 million, five-year deal with Milwaukee, who are currently set to enter 2026 with the 12th-lowest payroll in MLB.
Tong, who remains a rookie for 2026, was called up for five starts down the stretch last season. His first experience as a big leaguer did not go quite as perhaps he, and the Mets, had hoped. He was knocked around for 16 earned runs, 20 total, on 24 hits and nine walks in just 18 2/3 innings, a 7.71 ERA. Tong, the Mets’ seventh-round draft pick in 2022 out of Bill Crothers Secondary School in Ontario, Canada, did strike out 22, however.
“Tong would probably be the leader of the ship as far as making this trade happen,” Floyd said on MLB Network. “Then you include a Brett Baty, and a Ronny Mauricio, who’s coming back from the knee injury and trying to find a place to play. Those are players that fit the Brewers. They fit their model, they fit how they do business, and they fit how much Pat Murphy gets out of his players.”
The Mets get “a starter who moves you forward,” Floyd said. And as for the fact that a package topped by the No. 46 overall prospect in baseball as well as Baty, New York’s starting third baseman for most of the last three years, seems a high price to pay for a pitcher who becomes a free agent after the season, Floyd said that the Mets, whose payroll ranks second in the game, could simply sign Peralta to a contract extension.
More MLB: Yankees Predicted to Trade Ryan McMahon to Angels For 98 mph Reliever
Read the full article here
