The New York Mets had a relatively boring trade deadline -- their one move on Monday was trading Addison Reed to the Boston Red Sox for three relief prospects -- but they did make a splash after the deadline had passed.
That's because the Mets announced they'd be bringing top prospect shortstop Amed Rosario to the majors -- and that first-base prospect Dominic Smith wouldn't be far behind:
Mets’ top prospect Amed Rosario will play in Colorado tomorrow, per Sandy Alderson. Dom Smith “not far behind,” Sandy said.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) July 31, 2017
Rosario had recently missed a stretch of games due to a stomach issue. Prior to that, he'd seemed on the verge of being called up for months. On the season, he's batted .328/.367/.466 with seven home runs and 19 stolen bases on 25 tries.
MLB.com considers Rosario the no. 2 prospect in baseball, citing his potential for four plus or better tools: his ability to hit for average, his speed, his fielding, and his arm. Rosario, in other words, could well develop into an impact talent. The Mets will presumably ditch Jose Reyes in favor of playing Rosario at shortstop everyday.
Smith, meanwhile, is the no. 2 prospect in the system. He's hit 343/.396/.539 in Triple-A this season. His 16 home runs already represent a new professional career-high. The question with Smith is whether he'll continue to tap into his power. He'll essentially replace the recently traded Lucas Duda at the cold corner.
