Pete Crow-Armstrong has already become a reminder of how costly the Mets’ trade decisions can be in hindsight. In 2021, they sent their first-round pick to the Cubs for Javier Báez, who never signed an extension. Now, PCA is one of baseball’s most talked-about young stars, coming off a 2025 season with 31 home runs and a .247 average. That alone is enough to make the Mets rethink that deal. But will they actually learn from it?

Because it looks like GM David Stearns might be gearing up to make the same kind of mistake again… This time with their No. 2 prospect, shortstop Jett Williams.

“Stop. Trying. To. Trade. Jett. Williams. If you think the PCA trade regret is bad, trading Jett will be worse. He is a stud. Stop it.” MLB insider Jonathan Baron reacted to the reports that the Mets are mulling trading Williams to the D-Backs for Ketel Marte.

Well, according to the latest trade buzz, the Mets are considering receiving Starling Marte, and the price being discussed is steep… This includes three of their top four prospects: Carson Benge, Jett Williams, and Jonah Tong. But while the Mets still have enough talent to make a splash, this isn’t the type of player you give up that kind of youth for.

There’s no denying Marte would help. He’s a well-rounded player, and his $15.4 million AAV through 2030 is reasonable. But he’s 32 now, and in the best case, the Mets would receive a few more years of service from him. So, giving up young, high-upside prospects like Williams could be a risky affair.

Especially when the core, like Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor, is already aging, it could really hurt the franchise long-term.

And with Jett Williams being a versatile player who can play all over, the idea of trading him feels like it could be another Pete Crow-Armstrong situation waiting to happen.

For the unversed, the Mets have a history of letting future stars slip away like Justin Turner in 2013. He left, reinvented himself with the Dodgers, became an All-Star, and turned into a postseason hero.

So, moves like that are precisely why the Mets should think twice before parting with their top young talent again.

The Mets could bag better names from free agency

Why sacrifice the Mets’ top young players when there’s a better option sitting right in free agency?

Well, we’re talking about Bo Bichette here. 2025 proved why he’s one of the most complete hitters in baseball. Reportedly, even while dealing with injuries last season, he played 139 games and still slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 HRs and 94 RBIs. That’s even better than Marte.

However, the catch, of course, is the price tag.

Bichette is going to be expensive. Why? Because it could be a six-year deal worth around $175 million, with an AAV of $29 million.

So, that’s a huge commitment for a team that still needs starting arms, bullpen upgrades, and has to figure out whether it can give Pete Alonso the $150+ million he’s likely aiming for.

But even with all that, it still beats gutting the farm system and giving up the future.