Mets make a trade for a starting pitcher and an outfielder with Brewers
Mets make a trade for a starting pitcher and an outfielder with Brewers
The Mets added a major league starting pitcher to the back of their rotation while adding strong outfield depth for a small amount of prospect currency
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
The Mets announced on Wednesday they acquired RHP Adrian Houser and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league RHP Coleman Crow
Rumor Mill 💨
The Phillies have entered their bid for Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Athletic)
Who did the Mets get from the Brewers? ✍️
The Mets made a reasonably sized trade on Wednesday when they acquired RHP Adrian Houser and OF Tyrone Taylor from the Brewers for RHP Coleman Crow.
Crow was acquired from the Angels when the Mets sent Eduardo Escobar to the Angels last year. He was LA’s 28th round selection in the 2019 draft having never appearing in a minor league game for the Mets as he was rehabbing from an elbow injury he sustained in May. He went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in four appearances for Double-A Rocket City in the Angels organization before being moved to the Mets in 2023.
As for Houser, the 30-year-old right-hander went 8-5 with a 4.12 ERA in 23 appearances and 21 starts for the Brewers in 2023, allowing 121 hits and 34 walks in 111 innings for Milwaukee. A sinker-baller primarily, Houser pitches to a lot of contract but generally has kept the ball in the yard over the course of his career, although he saw the effectiveness of his sinker diminish in 2023 and his home run rate rise. Still, he had a 105 ERA+ last season and has a career 4.00 ERA in 129 appearances and 97 starts in his career. He certainly projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter for the Mets but also has an ability to pitch out of the bullpen if needed going forward.
Houser can become a free agent after the 2024 season.
Taylor, 29, appeared in 81 games for the Brewers in 2023, hitting .234/.267/.446 with ten home runs and 35 RBI in 243 plate appearances. While Taylor may present as a light hitting outfielder, he has speed and is a strong baserunner in his own right, a skill the Mets have aimed to improve upon over the last couple of years as they’ve recently been one of the worst base running teams in the game. Taylor is a strong defensive outfielder with a strong arm and ranked in the 92nd percentile in 2022 in outs above average (OAA), according to StatCast.
Taylor can play all three outfield positions as well.
On its surface, this may seem like a small trade and obviously doesn’t necessarily grab any headlines for the Mets. However, the Mets got a projected fifth starter and a plus-defender for outfield depth for minimal prospect currency and around $7-8 million in projected salary add. Houser would appear to fit well in the back of their rotation as a contact-centric sinker-baller which could play well against the left-handed power in the National League East, while Taylor adds some badly needed defensive prowess to the roster as well.
Overall, the Mets had -12.1 defensive runs saved (DRS) which ranked them 18th in the majors. They weren’t much better the year before and actually ranked lower in the majors at 20th with -9.5 DRS.
Their outfield combined for -16 DRS in 2023, -12 of which was in centerfield.
The Mets had reportedly been interested in free agent OF Michael A. Taylor, but this Taylor would seem to fill their existing need for a defense-first utility outfielder.
Hot Stove 🔥
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