The New York Mets look like they aren’t re-signing All-Star slugger Pete Alonso. But his departure leaves a wide open hole at first base and takes a large bite out of their depth chart. One buy-low trade candidate the Mets could go after is former first-overall pick Spencer Torkelson from the Detroit Tigers, whom they have shown some interest in. With the Tigers moving Colt Keith to first base, Torkelson could be out of a job in Detroit. But this mock trade would benefit both the Mets and Tigers.

Mets acquire Spencer Torkelson in exchange for Colin Houck and Kevin Parada

Torkelson’s 2024 season was rough, as he hit a meager .219/.295/.374 through 381 plate appearances. He struck out 27.6% of the time with only a slightly above-average 8.7% walk rate. Tork also did not hit for much power, with just ten homers and a .155 isolated slugging percentage, amounting to a .295 wOBA and 92 wRC+. Torkelson was even optioned to the minor leagues at one point. Of the few positives, Torkelson had a career-best season in the field with +2 defensive runs saved and only -2 outs above average in 799.2 innings.

But Torkelson isn’t far removed from a 31-home run campaign in 2023 when he hit .233/.319/.446. He walked more often, with a 9.8% BB% and a lower 25% K%. His isolated slugging percentage was above .200 at .213 as well. All told, he had a 108 wRC+ but had numbers that showed he could potentially be better. He was above the 80th percentile in xSLG% (.483), exit velocity (91.8 MPH), and barrel percentage (14.1%). Torkelson also ended 2024 on a positive note, putting up a .781 OPS, .341 wOBA, and 125 wRC+ after getting recalled to the Major Leagues in mid-August, though it was a small sample size of 151 plate appearances.

The Mets would be sending the Tigers two former first-round picks in this trade. One is infielder Colin Houck. Houck was the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Parkview High School. He was ranked as the 21st-best prospect by Baseball America and the 12th-best by MLB Pipeline. While he didn’t show off one particularly elite tool, he still entered the draft with five-tool upside, receiving average or better grades for each of his skills by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America.

However, his first extended look in the minor leagues at A-Ball St. Luice did not go very well. Houck hit just .206/.304/.306 with a .300 wOBA, and 81 wRC+. Houck struck out well over a third of the time with a 36.3% K% and had a whiff rate of 36.7%. Although Houck had a respectable 87.4 MPH exit velocity and 4.6% barrel percentage, his high swing-and-miss rate didn’t allow his raw power to play. Houck is still just 20 years old and will be for nearly all of the 2025 season.

The NY Mets and Detroit Tigers could both benefit from this trade.

The other player the Mets are sending is Kevin Parada. The Mets took Parada 11th overall in the 2022 draft. Although Parada showed some promise in the lower levels of the minor leagues, he has completely floundered at the plate since reaching Double-A. In 514 plate appearances, Parada has a .210/.298/.363 triple-slash since reaching Double-A Binghamton. He has struck out over a third of the time with a 35.4% K% and has paired that with a 9.5% walk rate. But Parada hasn’t hit for much pop, with a .153 isolated slugging percentage and 16 home runs. He carries a .305 wOBA and 90 wRC+ for Binghamton.

Unfortunately, Parada has to rely on his bat. He receives below-average grades for his defense behind the dish. Last season, he allowed a whopping 15 passed balls in just 600 innings behind the plate. He also has a below-average arm and spent 40 games as a designated hitter in 2024. 2025 will be Parada’s age-23 season, so he has to start figuring things out.

The obvious benefit for the Mets in this trade is adding some depth to first base. FanGraphs currently has Brett Baty and Mark Vientos penciled into the infield corners. The Tigers are also getting two former top prospects out of the deal. Houck is still young enough that he could figure things out as well. The Tigers only have two shortstop prospects in their top 15 on MLB Pipeline. Torkelson has just one above-replacement-level season per fWAR, with a +1.5 mark in 2023. He also has to hit to provide decent value. The Tigers would also clear a path for some of their young players, like Jace Jung, and Colt Keith.