Mets Trade Idea Adds $14 Million Outfielder to Juan Soto's Outfield
As the calendar turns to July, we wouldn't blame Juan Soto and the New York Mets for wanting to forget June ever happened.
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Well, Soto may not want to ignore June, not after he hit .322 with 11 home runs, 20 RBIs, and a 1.196 OPS across 116 plate appearances. We can't say the same for his teammates, who ended a 12-15 month by getting swept in Pittsburgh against the lowly Pirates.
Mets owner Steve Cohen publicly expressed his frustration on Monday, which is always good news for fans wanting change. Although there is no indication that any trades or firings are imminent, that isn't stopping fans and pundits from speculating about the Mets' next move.
Enter Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García, a two-time All-Star and a pending free agent. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter proposed the Mets pursue García, who owns a .225 average and .659 OPS through 80 games.
Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis GarcíaRaymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
"The Rangers' motivation for moving him will be offloading what is left of his $9.25 million salary," Reuter wrote, "so the prospect return won't be major, but they should be able to bring back at least one useful piece."
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That proposed return is Anthony Nunez, a 22-year-old reliever who went unselected in last year's draft. However, Nunez owns a 1.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 30 2/3 minor innings and received an early-season promotion to Double-A Binghamton.
Although García is slowing down, his power stroke still makes him a strong trade option. He's mashed at least 25 homers in four straight seasons, though his 3.2 home run percentage is his worst since becoming a full-time starter in 2021.
Let's also not forget that García hit .323 with eight homers, 22 RBI, and a 1.108 OPS during the Texas Rangers' 2023 World Series run. He earned ALCS MVP honors with five homers and 15 RBIs against the Houston Astros.
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García has almost exclusively played right field the last three seasons, and he's only two years removed from a Gold Glove. His potential arrival could push center fielder Jeff McNeil back to second base, though it's unclear what an outfield alignment featuring García, Soto, and Brandon Nimmo would look like.
We imagine Soto moves to left field, Nimmo returns to center field, and García sticks to right field in that theoretical scenario. That certainly sounds good to us, though the Mets still need to overcome the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Related: Mets Legend Sends Clear Message After Shocking Pirates Series
Related: Mets Trade Idea Unexpectedly Gives Juan Soto a $120 Million All-Star Slugger
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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