It took some pitching for the New York Mets to land some pitching.
The Mets on Sunday acquired Marcus Stroman in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays. They were an unexpected landing spot for Stroman considering they’re under .500 and not regarded as a contender. But the Mets nonetheless made the deal and parted with two of their top pitching prospects in the process.
The Mets are sending Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to Toronto as part of the deal.
Kay was a first-round pick in 2016 out of UConn. He missed all of the 2017 season to undergo Tommy John surgery and had a 4.26 ERA last season after returning. He was 7-3 with a 1.49 ERA in Double-A this season before being promoted to Triple-A. He’s struggled for Binghamton, going 1-3 with a 6.61 ERA in 31 innings.
Woods Richardson was the No. 48 overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Kempner High School in Sugar Land, Texas. The 18-year-old has gone 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 78 innings at Single-A Columbia this season. He is 4-8 with a 4.05 ERA over 95.2 career minor-league innings.
Woods Richardson is extremely far away from ever reaching the majors, while Kay has a lot of work to do after getting rocked at Triple-A. He’s also already had a Tommy John surgery.
The Mets’ motivation for acquiring Stroman when they’re not contending this season is being questioned, but it seems they added a good player without giving up very much, which would make it a good move.
