As the saying goes, a team can never have too much starting pitching depth. The New York Mets are taking this phrase to heart as they have acquired yet another starting pitcher this offseason. Jordan Yamamoto is coming over from the Miami Marlins in exchange for infield prospect Federico Polanco.
Anthony DiComo from MLB.com first broke the news for the Mets.
A trade: the Mets have acquired right-hander Jordan Yamamoto from the Marlins for minor league infielder Federico Polanco.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 1, 2021
DiComo later confirmed that the Mets DFA’d infielder Robel Garcia to make room on their 40-man roster.
Yamamoto, 24, had a decent debut in 2019, recording a 4.46 ERA in 15 starts. 2020 saw a huge regression for him, however, posting a disastrous 18.26 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance. Though he had trouble limiting walks and home runs, he had some strong peripherals as well. Yamamoto owns a solid strikeout rate (9.5 K/9) and in 2019 held opposing batters to a .191 batting average. If he can limit the long ball and cut down on the walks, he could be a more than serviceable back end starter or middle reliever.
Polanco, 19, has never played above rookie ball and wasn’t ranked in the Mets top-30 prospects. He has the versatility to play second base, third base and shortstop, though, he projects to be below average at each. He can also hit for a high average, going .331 in the 2019 Dominican Summer League. That said he is almost completely devoid of power, having never hit a professional homerun. Should he perform well in more minor league levels, Polanco may still evolve into a decent depth piece someday.
Featured Image Courtesy of Getty Images
You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers like Zach!
‘From our Haus to yours’