The dust is settling on the dismantling of the New York Mets.
Within six days, general manager Billy Eppler took the richest team in baseball history — and one of the most disappointing ones, as well — and gutted it of some of its central fixtures.
Starting pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the two future Hall-of-Famers that were supposed to pace a vaunted starting rotation, are gone. David Robertson, the team’s best reliever in a shambolic bullpen who filled in so admirably for the injured star closer Edwin Diaz, is gone. Tommy Pham, one of the Mets’ most consistent and productive bats since May within a sputtering lineup, is gone. So are outfielder Mark Canha and reliever Dominic Leone.
With it, the Mets have waved the white flag in 2023 — confirming what most of us realized in June. The team with the highest payroll ever simply wasn’t good enough.
But Eppler, with the backing of affluent owner Steve Cohen and his ability to eat tens of millions of dollars on these veteran contracts to maximize the Mets’ returns, rebuilt the organization’s farm system in less than a week.
“We’re just trying to restock and reload a farm system,” Eppler said on Tuesday night. “You have to go through a little bit of pain to get to where we want to go. But I feel like the organization is making strides toward a better future.”
That little bit of pain will be the rest of the 2023 season and potentially 2024 if he doesn’t get the green light from Cohen to make a few splashes on the free-agent market to bring on starting pitchers for a depleted and incredibly thin rotation.
But suddenly, the pipeline of sustainable, young talent that Cohen and Eppler have often dreamed of a la the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers is taking its foundation. What the Mets received in five trades across six days takes years for organizations to build in their farm system.
Here’s a look at some of their new arrivals:
Luisangel Acuna
- Acquired from: Max Scherzer trade (Texas Rangers)
- Position: SS/2B
- MLB Pipeline Top 100 rank: 44
- Mets prospect rank: 2
The 21-year-old doesn’t have the same sort of ceiling as his brother, Braves superstar Ronald Acuna, but there is still an abundance of promise. Currently at the Double-A level, Acuna batted .315 with an .830 OPS, seven home runs, 51 RBI, and 42 stolen bases in 84 games with the Rangers’ minor-league affiliate. Expected to grow into more power, he’s slated to slate into a second-base role with the Mets given Francisco Lindor’s possession of shortstop for the next decade.
Drew Gilbert
- Acquired from: Justin Verlander trade (Houston Astros)
- Position: OF
- MLB Pipeline Top 100 rank: 68
- Mets prospect rank: 4
Eating approximately $52.5 million of Verlander’s remaining money allowed the Mets to come away with the Astros’ No. 1 prospect in Gilbert. A former pitcher turned outfielder, the 22-year-old has a plus arm, which is just one of the tools that he’s classified as above-average in. His speed, bat, and fielding also have considerable upside that can make him a legitimate four-tool player in the majors. He hasn’t displayed an abundance of power yet, but the 5-foot-9 talent displays an aggressive style at the plate that should see him produce plenty of hard-hit balls.81 games between High-A and Double-A, he’s slashing .274/.363/.458 (.821 OPS) with 12 home runs, 19 doubles, and 38 RBI.
Ryan Clifford
- Acquired from: Justin Verlander trade (Houston Astros)
- Position: OF/1B
- Mets prospect rank: 6
Not only did the Mets come away with Houston’s No. 1 prospect, but they nabbed their No. 2 talent in Clifford. An outfielder who doesn’t boast much speed, the 20-year-old is seen as more of a first-base prospect the higher he graduates within the system. The name of the game is power for the lefty, who has shown plenty of it across Low-A and High-A ball. In 83 games, he’s batted .291 with a .919 OPS, 18 home runs, and 61 RBI. The most important thing he’ll need to work on is his identification of off-speed pitches, which has played a major role in a high strikeout clip (89 in 83 games, 29% of his ABs).
Marco Vargas
- Acquired from: David Robertson trade (Miami Marlins)
- Position: INF
- Mets rank: 9
At 18 years old, Vargas is showing immense maturity at the plate that will see him shoot up prospect boards in the coming weeks. In Rookie Ball, he’s 40 times compared to just 22 strikeouts in 36 games, helping to swell his on-base percentage to a robust .460. Even Eppler described him as possessing “elite contact” and “elite decision-making.” Vargas is also batting .292 with an .898 OPS, 14 extra-base hits, and nine stolen bases.
Justin Jarvis
- Acquired from: Mark Canha trade (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Position: SP
- Mets rank: 15
After going 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA across 14 starts in Double-A, the right-handed Jarvis was promoted to Triple-A. Things haven’t been easy in his short time up there. He’s 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA and 2.49 WHIP (11.2 innings). But he has a promising arsenal, owning a 92-94 mph four-seamer that has plus movement, a slider and splitter that sit in the low 80s, and an arching mid-70s curveball. His command has been the biggest issue — particularly an inability to live on the edges of the strike zone. He has a tendency to find too much of the plate, which is what we’re seeing in Triple-A. Regardless, his stuff could see him develop into a serviceable back-end starter if he can clean it up.
Ronald Hernandez
- Acquired from: David Robertson trade (Miami Marlins)
- Position: C
- Mets rank: 21
Considering Francisco Alvarez should hold down the catcher’s spot in Queens for the foreseeable future, Hernandez could be developed into a steady backup option. The 18-year-old has already shown flashes of being a defensively sound catcher with a plus arm as he threw out 33% of base stealers last season. As a switch-hitter, he doesn’t display a lot of power, but his .928 OPS and .479 on-base percentage in Rookie Ball this season suggests that something is there.
Jeremiah Jackson
- Acquired from: Domonic Leone trade (Los Angeles Angels)
- Position: INF/OF
- Mets rank: 22
Injuries have slowed down Jackson in recent years after slugging a Pioneer League record 23 home runs in just 65 games in 2019. But he’s working his way back and still showing plus power, hitting 15 home runs with 56 RBI in 82 games this season at the Double-A level. His strikeout rate is something to watch, however, as he’s been punched out in 30.2% of his at-bats this season.
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