Yankees and Mets should pursue this trade to benefit one another

A crosstown trade between the Yankees and Mets could go a long way for both franchises.

The New York Mets are under new ownership, which means it’s time to do away with the losing philosophy the Wilpons famously exuded during their painful reign in Queens. Billionaire Steve Cohen is here to save the day, and perhaps he changes a longstanding policy that all but officially banned the Mets from making trades with the New York Yankees.

We’ve seen a number of press conferences and interviews with Cohen, and he’s proven to be an open-minded guy. From talking about not competing with the Yankees to interacting with fans to expressing that the Mets won’t be a money-making venture for him, it’s clear we’re about to see a much different franchise.

It’s time we bring back excitement to New York baseball. Cohen is right. Enough competing. How about helping make one another better? There are always deals to be made that can accomplish that, and none would be easier than one between the Yankees and Mets. They can just move players via the subway!

So how about this offseason trade that could help both teams in their 2021 endeavors?

• Yankees get: P Seth Lugo and INF Amed Rosario
• Mets get: P Adam Ottavino, P Luis Cessa and No. 5 prospect Luis Gil, $2 million for Otto’s contract

How does this help everyone involved? Let’s start with the Yankees.

The Bombers need another starting pitcher. The Mets screwing with Lugo to keep him as a hybrid starter/reliever just hasn’t worked and it’s not going to. The Yankees could slot him into the middle of the rotation and keep him there for the next two seasons, which would give them veteran stability behind Gerrit Cole. We’ve seen what Lugo can do, and perhaps the Yankees can unleash his potential as a starter.

As for Rosario, the Mets don’t need him following the emergence of Andres Gimenez. And now that Jeff McNeil will likely move back to second base in wake of Robinson Cano’s suspension, that leaves Rosario as a bonafide backup … and the Mets honestly might prefer Luis Guillorme in that role. So the Yankees will take Rosario! That’ll give them a solid all-around option behind Gleyber Torres and (we hope) DJ LeMahieu, so Tyler Wade’s bat can go bye-bye.

Now for the Mets! It’s no secret they need bullpen help. Ottavino and Cessa aren’t the greatest of options, but they at least provide depth and upside. Ottavino happened to collapse in a shortened 2020, but he’s still a valuable arm, though the damage simply may have been done in regard to his tenure with the Yankees. We know $9 million is a lot for the right-hander, so the Yankees eating $2 million here feels reasonable. Cessa has decent stuff and he’s a cheap option. Both of these guys are better than most of the guys in the Mets’ bullpen at the moment.

And look, we know this trade is largely beneficial for the Yankees, solely due to the inclusion of Lugo. So since the Mets’ farm system has been decimated after Brodie Van Wagenen’s reign, No. 5 prospect Luis Gil is a nice addition. He could help the Mets prepare for life without Noah Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman, both of whom could be gone next year, and won’t really hurt the Yankees since they’ll be trading from a surplus there.

Minor trade. Minor upgrades. Everybody has the potential to win. Why not?

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