Before completing a deal with the Oakland Athletics, the Tampa Bay Rays discussed a three-team blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals and New York Mets. The deal would have sent Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar to the Nationals, Ian Desmond to the Mets, and Noah Syndergaard and an additional Mets prospect to the Rays, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Later Saturday, the Rays traded Zobrist and Escobar to Oakland for John Jaso, Daniel Robertson (A's top prospect), and Boog Powell.
Rosenthal reports that the Mets balked on the deal because of the asking price for Desmond. The Mets did not want to give up two top prospects, even though the Rays coveted Mets top prospect Noah Syndergaard.
It is looking more and more like the Mets will go into 2015 with Wilmer Flores as their starting shortstop as they have been unable to make a trade and have not signed a costless agent shortstop. Desmond has beaten up the Mets, offensively, the past few seasons and would have been a nice fit for New York, helping them in the power department. Ultimately, general manager Sandy Alderson did not want to pull the trigger and give up his top prospects.
Zobrist would have become the Nationals right fielder to start the year, as Jayson Werth is recovering from surgery on his right shoulder. Then he would have moved to his natural position of second base, where Washington has struggled to find a stable option in recent years. Yunel Escobar would have been set to take over the shortstop duties for Desmond.
Desmond, Zobrist and Escobar are all in the final years of their contracts, making them costless agents after the 2015 season. The Nationals and Mets will likely have interest in the three again in the offseason as costless agents.