A fascinating new rumor claims the New York Mets tried to reunite with former star prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong . However, conversations with the Chicago Cubs did not go far.
One of the biggest stories in MLB this season is the emergence of Cubs All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong. His potential has been spoken about in league circles for some time. But in 2025, the 23-year-old has shown why he was seen as an elite prospect and drafted in Round 1 of the 2020 MLB Draft.
However, for many baseball fans, it may not be widely known that PCA was first a Mets prospect. The team selected him four years ago, and he quickly became one of their top minor leaguers. Unsurprisingly, his upside drew the attention of other teams. And that is why he was the main piece in the return package that saw New York acquire then-two-time All-Star Javier Baez in 2021.
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The Mets hoped Baez would be the missing piece in a potential World Series run that season. Unfortunately, he was not and departed that offseason in free agency. Now, with PCA's emergence as a budding superstar, New York's decision is becoming one of the great "what if" decisions in franchise history. Well, it seems that two years ago the organization tried to rectify that potential mistake. And trade a star to get Crow-Armstrong back.
SNY MLB insider Andy Martino revealed Friday that when former Mets GM Billy Eppler was selling off pieces in 2023 to restock the farm system, his front office had a bold idea.
Pete Crow-Armstrong stats (2025): .269 AVG, .307 OBP, .555 SLG, .862 OPS, 25 HR, 70 RBI, 67 R
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
"During this time, the Mets front office hatched a brief, outside-the-box idea. What about calling the Cubs to feel them out about Pete for Pete?" Martino wrote. "The Cubs were known to have liked Alonso, and rumored to be weighing a pursuit of him.
"According to league sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the call was made. The conversation was brief. The answer was no," he added. "It's no knock on Alonso that the Cubs passed. It was about the specific concept. Good luck finding any team willing to trade a rookie centerfielder with star potential for less than two seasons of a slugging first baseman."
Before the 2023 MLB trade deadline, owner Steven Cohen had an edict to do whatever it took to improve the minors. Eppler made trades that sent Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to contending teams and paid the rest of their huge contracts to get premium prospects in return. Getting PCA would have been a fantastic long-term thinking idea if they could have gotten a deal done.
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