Just an amusing observation as to how thoroughly the Mets fleeced the Jays, and how we really dodged a bullet with the great prospect sell-offs the Jays have dove headlong into over the last ~5 years. If they'd held onto their prospects they'd have a young core that rivals our own.
I would rather have Manaea than Swihart. I'll take the prospect with top-of-the-rotation potential over a LF prospect that has a decent but not exceptional hit tool. I would feel differently about Swihart if I believed in his defensive ability behind the plate. As it stands, there are concerns about his defense behind the plate and such concerns inevitably lower his value.
You would rather have Manaea because you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Manaea might, maybe, if he stays healthy and learns how to pitch despite already getting the additional development time and polish opportunity afforded a college pitcher, be a top of the rotation guy. Henry Owens has been a substantially more highly regarded prospect than Manaea, is a year younger, and at 22 posted a far better ML line in limited innings than Manaea did at 24. I don't see anyone in their right mind putting Owens over Swihart.
Blake Swihart is already a league average catcher defensively with a slightly above league average bat, after having skipped AAA entirely to demonstrate that fact at 23. He has the higher ceiling of the two. He has the higher floor. He has the rarer skill set. All that despite only starting to catch full time since being drafted, learning to hit LH at the same time, coming straight out of HS, and not repeating a level on his way up until he skipped AAA.
He's the best potential catcher on the planet under the age of 25, bar none. What you're doing is the exact opposite of home team star fucking.
A team that would covet Swihart is a team that (1) needs a catcher, and, (2) doesn't heavily value defense at the catcher position or, alternatively, believes that Swihart has the tools to improve defensively. The A's have a catcher and so I don't see them as an ideal trade partner for Swihart.
29 teams covet Blake Swihart, because they don't have Blake Swihart. What they would give for him is moderated by how many years of control over a good catcher they already have, but you're delusional if you don't think nearly any other team in baseball wouldn't give a return far above a half season of Ben Zobrist to acquire him.
Would you trade Moncada for Hill? Benintendi? Devers? Espinosa? Swihart is worth more on the trade market than any one of them. The Red Sox have the luxury of having the best defensive catcher 25 or under on the planet in their organization, so they're starting him. They still valued Swihart enough to then immediately go looking for a way to get his bat in the lineup.