The New York Mets’ fire sale at the trade deadline went just as expected.
All of the impactful bullpen pieces (except Devin Williams) were traded, while starting pitcher Freddy Peralta was shipped to Tampa Bay and Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor were sent to Chicago in a package deal.
I liked the majority of the deals that David Stearns made, as the team’s farm system went from reeling to one that is now injected with new prospects.
Jefferson Rojas was the prize of the Mets’ sale, as this is a true, impactful, top-100 prospect who could be on the major league roster sooner rather than later.
He’s a shorter and skinnier player than most major leaguers (5’11”, 150 pounds), but his play doesn’t reflect that.
Scouts say that he has a very strong arm, provides pop, can steal bases, and doesn’t strike out much.
Could Rojas be a Brett Baty replacement in the future? Mets fans certainly hope so.
Another important piece of the puzzle was acquiring Sammy Stafura from the Pirates.
Stafura has always been a solid contact hitter who can steal bases, but his recent power surge (15 home runs in July) has increased the buzz around him.
Only receiving one prospect for Luke Weaver was definitely interesting, but it was worth it for a player with Stafura’s upside.
Some other prospects that caught my eye are Emilien Pitre, Billy Amick, and Gabe Davis.
Pitre could be a great contact hitter (89 G, .310 BA, 32 SB, 46 RBI, 70:40 BB) who provides a massive ability to get on base and steal bases.
On the other hand, Amick’s power (24 HR, 74 RBI) is very encouraging, but he needs to tone down the strikeouts (113 K, 89 G) if he wants to progress through the minors.
RHP Gabe Davis’ pitches (100+ MPH fastball, nasty slider) make him a more logical fit as a bullpen arm than a starter or bulk reliever.
The only negatives from this deadline are the Brooks Raley deal, not being able to trade Luis Robert Jr., and not attempting to trade one of Baty, Vientos, or Mauricio.
With David Stearns’ recent comments, it sounds like the team could be giving Robert a tryout of some sort for next season due to his pending $20 million team option or $2 million buyout.
Overall, it has been a disastrous season for David Stearns and the New York Mets, but fans can confidently say that he did a great job at this year’s trade deadline.
My name is John Pagnotta and I live in Queens, NY. I am a freshman at St. John’s University and I am majoring in journalism. I am a huge fan of the Jets, Mets, Islanders, and Knicks. I started following sports when I was around 7 years old and I have not lost love for it ever since!
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