AP Photo/Charles Rex ArbogastAccording to reports, the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins held trade talks regarding veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson.Andy Martino of SNY reports that the Mets are focusing on upgrading third base before the July 30th trade deadline. They have also had preliminary talks with the Twins regarding Donaldson.According to reports, the Mets are also interested in Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs third baseman. However, they are not sure if the Cubs will be selling.The Mets have one of the most impressive starting pitchers in baseball. However, their offense is not up to par.They entered play Friday at.227 batting average, 27th in home runs with 75 and 26th in RBI runs scored with 275.Despite this, the Mets are leading the National League East with a record 41-36, two games more than the Washington Nationals second-place team.Although the Mets are in a position to make some serious damage if they reach the playoffs, they have the potential to do so thanks to their pitching trio of Jacob deGrom and Taijuan Walker, but they will need to bring more life to their lineup.The Mets have a problem at third base, with Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis is on the injured list.New York has been using Luis Guillorme as third base lately, but he's hitting just.247 with only one RBI and no home runs in 91 plate appearances.Donaldson, 35, boasts a impressive resume. He is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner. In 2015, he was the American League MVP. As a member the Toronto Blue Jays, he hit.297 with 41 runs and 123 RBI.Donaldson suffered through injuries in 2018 and experienced a career revival with the Atlanta Braves. In 2019, Donaldson hit.259 with 37 homers, and 94 RBI.After signing a 4-year contract with the Twins, he hasn't been as successful as hoped.Donaldson was limited to 28 games last season because of injury. He has also spent some time on the IL.His numbers for 2021 are still decent as he is hitting.250/.345/.486 and has 13 home runs and 34 RBIs in 63 games.Donaldson's performance is below his peak but he would be a huge upgrade for the Mets in the hot corner.Martino says that the Mets must meet certain conditions before they will trade. One condition is that the Mets have no interest trading their top prospects.Another reason is that New York does not want to exceed the $210 million luxury threshold. Martino says that Donaldson could make the Mets over the limit as they have less than $10million below the threshold.The Mets need more offensive firepower, regardless of who they buy.
