Recapping The Mets’ Deadline Moves

The trade deadline has come and gone as the New York Mets decided to go all-in on a retool aimed at restocking the farm system. While the team shipped off a number of notable contributors and effectively threw in the towel on the 2023 season, they used Steve Cohen’s deep pockets to enhance their return, and came away with an impressive haul that could pay dividends in the near future.

Let’s take a look at each of the Mets’ deals and what they received in each transaction.

RHP David Robertson to MIA for INF Marco Vargas and C Ronald Hernandez

The trade of closer David Robertson shortly after a late-inning comeback win last Thursday night was the initial indicator of the Mets being full-on sellers. It was inevitable that Robertson would be shipped off at some point before the deadline, but the timing and the destination came as somewhat of a surprise.

Robertson, who owned a 2.05 ERA and 14 saves in 40 games as a Met, was sent to the division-rival Miami Marlins and immediately slotted in as their closer. In exchange for one of the better relievers on the market, the Mets received two low-level prospects that already slot in among the organization’s top prospects.

Marco Vargas, an 18-year-old infielder, ranks as New York’s No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline following the trade, and has risen up rankings this season. Seen as a potential Top-100 prospect in the game by some, Vargas slashed .283/.457/.442 over 162 plate appearances with Miami in the Florida Complex League this season and has been lauded for his contact skills and advanced approach at the plate at such a young age. Ronald Hernandez, meanwhile, comes in at No. 21 in Pipeline’s rankings and possesses a strong eye and good contact skills with a .298/.464/.452 slash line in the Complex League this season. He has also impressed defensively and is advanced for his age in that department.

RHP Max Scherzer to TEX for INF/OF Luisangel Acuña

This may take the cake for the most stunning deal the Mets made. There was no shortage of rumors and speculation regarding Max Scherzer in the weeks leading up to the deadline, but a trade never felt particularly realistic due to the money he was set to earn over the next two seasons as well as his struggles in 2023 and the fact that New York would likely want to keep him for another go-around in 2024. His no-trade clause was, of course, a major roadblock in any potential deal as well.

That’s why the news of the pact between the Mets and Rangers on Saturday was out of the blue. Scherzer, who has a 4.01 ERA and 0.8 fWAR across 19 starts so far this season, agreed to the move, and joins the first-place Rangers as a key piece of their injury-ridden rotation. Texas is responsible for paying $22.5 million towards the remainder of Scherzer’s contract, which includes the 2024 option he opted into as part of the deal.

On the flip side, Luisangel Acuña immediately becomes one of the most tantalizing players in the Mets’ farm system. The brother of Ronald Acuña Jr., he sits as the No. 44 prospect in the league and the team’s No. 2 prospect according to Pipeline. Acuña slashed .315/.377/.453 with seven home runs, 42 stolen bases and a 121 wRC+ in 84 games with Double-A Frisco this season. He possesses elite athleticism, the potential to defend at a high level,  and has all the offensive tools necessary to be a staple in the Mets’ lineup for years to come.

OF Mark Canha to MIL for RHP Justin Jarvis 

Despite a down year, Mark Canha still lined up as one of the top rental bats on the market. Coming off of one of the best seasons of his career in 2022, Canha slashed .245/.343/.381 with six home runs and a 107 wRC+ across 303 plate appearances as a Met this year.

The Milwaukee Brewers, who were long rumored to be coveting a right-handed bat, swooped in and acquired Canha amidst a fair amount of interest around the league. They sent Justin Jarvis, a 23-year-old starting pitcher, in return, who slots in as New York’s No. 15 prospect. Jarvis had a rough go of it in three starts with Triple-A Nashville before the trade, but his stock as a whole has risen this season due to success in Double-A predicated on a high strikeout rate and improved command. He has a strong fastball that typically sits in the mid-90s while boasting an all-around solid repertoire of secondary pitches that could make him an intriguing rotation option in the near future.

RHP Justin Verlander to HOU for OFs Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford

Here’s the big one.

After a long couple of days, Justin Verlander’s fleeting stay in the Big Apple officially came to an end as he returned to his old haunts in Houston, the place where he won two World Series and two Cy Young Awards. The Astros always felt like the most logical and realistic destination for Verlander, who owned a no-trade clause as part of his contract, due to the familiarity and motivation of owner Jim Crane to get a deal done. Verlander owned a 3.15 ERA and 1.7 fWAR across 16 starts at the time of the trade, and the Mets are on the hook for about $52 million of his remaining deal assuming his vesting option kicks in for the 2025 season. If it doesn’t, New York will cover around $35 million over the rest of 2023 and 2024.

For New York, the upside of covering a healthy portion of Verlander’s contract was receiving arguably the two best prospects in Houston’s system. Drew Gilbert was a first-round pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2022 and is currently the team’s No. 4 prospect while ranking No. 68 in the league according to Pipeline. The 22-year-old dominated with High-A Asheville to open the year, but took a bit of the step back once being promoted to Double-A. He is slashing .274/.363/.458 with 12 homers and 10 stolen bases across the two levels on the year. Gilbert is athletic and plays the game with a competitive edge while being incredibly well-rounded as both a defender and hitter, making him a likely top-of-the-order bat that can do a little bit of everything at a high level.

The second prospect the Mets received was Ryan Clifford, an 11th-round pick in the 2022 draft. Clifford ranks as the team’s No. 6 prospect and carries a lot of potential and hype despite his draft pedigree. He has slashed a combined .291/.399/.520 with 18 home runs in 371 plate appearances with Single-A Fayetteville and High-A Ashville this season. His power is one of his better tools and he has the potential to be an impact middle-of-the-order bat at the big-league level. He projects as either a corner outfielder with good arm strength or could even be moved to first base down the line.

OF Tommy Pham to AZ for SS Jeremy Rodriguez 

Tommy Pham was a pleasant surprise for the Mets after signing him late in the offseason and he quickly became one of the team’s more indispensable pieces. Pham has slashed .268/.348/.472 with 10 homers and a 127 wRC+ so far this season while also being an elite baserunner.

The Diamondbacks acquired Pham shortly before the deadline and sent 17-year-old Jeremy Rodriguez back to New York. Rodriguez signed with Arizona for $1.25 million in January and was the organization’s top international signee. He has slashed .250/.368/.383 with two homers and 12 stolen bases in 37 games in the Dominican Summer League to begin his career this season. He doesn’t rank among the Mets’ Top 30 prospects according to Pipeline, but Rodriguez is a plus-athlete and defender at shortstop with great arm strength while also showing signs of developing an above-average hit tool.

RHP Dominic Leone to LAA for INF Jeremiah Jackson

The final trade of the deadline for the Mets came just before the buzzer as they sent reliever Dominic Leone to the Angels for Jeremiah Jackson. New York signed Leone in early May after he opted out of his minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, and he went on to record a 4.40 ERA and -0.3 fWAR in 31 games with the Mets.

Jackson currently sits as the Mets’ No. 22 prospect according to Pipeline. He was a second-round pick in 2018 and was selected during Billy Eppler’s tenure as general manager with the Angels, so there’s some familiarity there. Jackson hit .248/.321/.447 with a 101 wRC+ and 15 home runs in Double-A Rocket City this season. He possesses impressive raw power and is a great athlete that has sky-high potential. It’s just a matter of putting it all together, but a questionable hit tool with some swing-and-miss concerns stands in his way. He’s shown some defensive versatility as well, which could ease his path to the majors.