According to Jim Bowden of ESPN on Twitter as well as various other sources, the Mets and Braves have reportedly finished a deal that has infielder Juan Uribe and utility man Kelly Johnson to the Mets in exchange for prospects John Gant and Robert Whalen.
Uribe, 36, is a thirteen year veteran who has spent time with the Rockies, White Sox, Giants, Dodgers, and currently the Atlanta Braves. He was acquired by the Braves in a six player deal back in May with the Dodgers, and it’s looking like he’s on the move again.
So far in 2015, Uribe is hitting at a .272/.331/.409 clip, with a wOBA of .323, and a wRC+ of 107, with 8 home runs and 23 RBI’s in 75 games.
Uribe is a solid acquisition and a great clubhouse presence who will most likely slot right into third base for the Mets. He is versatile also, and can slide over to shortstop or second base should David Wright return this season.
Johnson, 33, is a nine year veteran who has spent time with the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and is currently in his second tour of duty with the Braves.
His slash line so far this season is .275/.321/.451, with a wOBA of .335 and a wRC+ of 113, with 9 home runs and 34 RBI’s in 62 games.
Johnson is a good add, and will probably see his fair share of playing time at various different positions. He will also give the Mets a solid lefty bat, and bolster their thin bench.
Heading to Atlanta are RHP prospects John Gant and Robert Whalen.
Gant, 22, was drafted by the Mets in the 21st round of the 2011 first year player draft. He has split this season between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton, and has pitched to a 6-5 record, with a 3.52 ERA in 17 games started.
Whalen, 21, has pitched exclusively at Single-A St. Lucie this season, and has pitched to a 4-5 record with a 3.36 ERA in fifteen games (fourteen started). Whalen also ranked as the Mets #24 best prospect by MMO before the start of the season.
Neither team has confirmed the deal, but it is reportedly completed. Should Uribe and Johnson be acquired and join the team tomorrow, you have to figure that Eric Campbell and Daniel Muno will be relegated to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Thoughts from Rob:
I like this deal a lot. It is not a blockbuster deal by any means, but it does very much improve this team and adds much needed versatility. Uribe may be 36, but he can still rake and is has a .958 OPS against lefties this year.
Johnson also drastically improves the Mets bench, which has seen its players have a lower batting average than the starting rotation.
When a Mets official was asked if the Mets were done dealing, the response was “stay tuned.” So do just that, Mets fans!
Thoughts from Joe D.
I love this deal Mets fans… To get two quality MLB players for a couple of secondary prospects, is a huge coup for the Mets.
Johnson and Uribe will afford the Mets maximum versatility and lengthen and strengthen the lineup. Johnson can play first he can play second you can plug him in the outfield, while Uribe can play third mostly but second base in a pinch.
Now what this means for Wilmer Flores I don’t know I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. But this move drastically improves our chances for the postseason.
You may remember on Wednesday I wrote an article saying that the Mets did not need a huge superstar bat but just a couple of tweaks.
All we needed was to get from 3.5 runs per game to 4.0 runs per game and honestly, I believe we just did that.
Why was that so important for me? Because the Mets are 35-5 when they score 4 or more runs that’s why!
Excellent move.
