When the Mets landed Juan Soto on the biggest contract in the history of North American sports, it created a potential ripple effect throughout the organization.
It starts with the huge plus that the Mets added one of the best offensive players in baseball at the age of 26.
Right field is now locked up in Queens for the foreseeable future, and with Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo locked in long-term as well, so are shortstop and left field.
On the other side of the coin, there likely isn’t a long-term solution in center field on this roster, as Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor are currently slated to split time there to begin the year.
Jeff McNeil projects as the starter at second base, and while he has two years and a club option remaining on his current deal, he’ll have to bounce back this season to keep a hold on that spot.
Having core pieces the caliber of Soto, Lindor, Nimmo and others is a great thing as the Mets look to build on their 2024 success that led to a trip to the NLCS.
But the fallout of those pieces being in place is that there are limited spots available for the bevy of near big-league-ready position player prospects in the system, which includes Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuña.
All four of those players either recently ranked or are currently ranked among the top 100 prospects in the sport. And in SNY’s latest top 30 list, I projected MLB ETA’s for Williams and Gilbert in 2025, while Mauricio and Acuña have already debuted.
Williams and Acuña project as pure up-the-middle players at the next level, having spent time at shortstop, second base and center field during their minor league careers.
Prior to tearing his ACL last December, Mauricio showed the ability to play both second and third base. He recently began baseball activities again, and it will be important to see how his athleticism and lateral quickness rebound from the major surgery.
Gilbert on the other hand is more of a convoluted discussion. While he can play center and should get opportunities there, evaluators believe his best fit long-term might be in a corner outfield spot, with right field being the best spot for his plus arm.
Prospects provide significant value to an organization in one of two ways: becoming a key part of the 26-man roster or being used as part of a trade to impact a part of the roster in need. Maintaining depth is important, but one of the toughest parts of the job for David Stearns is not only deciding which prospects to keep or move, but also the timing on when to execute those decisions.
The question is if now is the time for Stearns to execute one of those trades.
The Mets have a clear need for stability in the starting rotation. Along with free agents such as Corbin Burnes, Sean Manaea, Walker Buehler and Nick Pivetta, there are also trade options to investigate, and those teams could be looking for near big-league-ready position player prospects — which the Mets have.
During the Winter Meetings, the Mets made a push for Garrett Crochet, who ended up being traded to the Red Sox. Luis Castillo of the Mariners, Dylan Cease of the Padres, Jesus Luzardo of the Marlins, and Pablo Lopez of the Twins are among the potentially available starters remaining on the trade market.
Williams only appeared in 55 games between the minors and Arizona Fall League after undergoing wrist surgery this season — could that potentially impact him being a headliner of a bigger trade? If the Mets don’t view Gilbert as a long-term center fielder, he could make sense as a piece to move to add to the rotation.
Could Acuña be a possible sell-high candidate? He didn’t have a big statistical season down in Triple-A, but he made a huge impact at the big-league level down the stretch and has recorded a .914 OPS in winter ball as of this writing.
Mauricio likely will need to reestablish his health before teams are calling on him, outside of seeking a buy-low situation.
In addition to the names above, the Mets also have young players like 3B Brett Baty, who has yet to establish himself at the big-league level, and 1B Ryan Clifford, who finished with 18 home runs and an .815 OPS after being promoted to Double-A at just 20 years old. There also is 2024 first-round pick, outfielder Carson Benge, who could move quickly through the minors.
Signing Soto was a monumental, franchise-altering move. What comes from it is that Stearns will now have to make the hard decision on which prospects will be part of this team’s core, and which of them will benefit the organization more as trade chips this winter or at the deadline.
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