Astros calling up former NY Mets prospect traded for 16 games of Jake Marisnick

Jake Marisnick has a strange place in New York Mets history. He was in a string of talented defensive center fielders added by a multitude of general managers to fortify the position. Unfortunately, a worldwide pandemic in 2020 and an injury limited him to only 16 games with the team. He managed to hit .333 in the limited action on a Mets team that would end up limited to only 60 regular season games.

The Marisnick trade with the Houston Astros wasn’t an all-time stinker, but it’s going to end up as an unusual one for a couple of reasons. Swapped for two players, Marisnick’s quick exit into free agency after the 2020 season already had the Mets behind the 8-ball. One of the prospects traded for him, Blake Taylor, already made his impact in the major leagues. The lefty reliever pitched to a 2.18 ERA in 20.2 innings in 2020 for the Astros. He had a 3.16 ERA in 2021 in 42.2 innings and saw it increase to a still respectable 3.94 in 2022. Peripherals were never great yet he managed to get the job done. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022, struggling the past two seasons in Triple-A for the Astros and then Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, the other guy involved in the trade is set to make his major league debut. The Astros have called up Kenedy Corona who’ll look to give Houston more games than Marisnick was able to offer the Mets in his one short season.

Don’t worry Mets fans, this isn’t about to go from bad to worse

Corona was a low-level Mets prospect at the time of the deal, but it didn’t take him long to make fans scratch their heads. A big year in 2022 followed by an even better one in 2023 featured a sudden power surge for Corona. He swatted 22 home runs while slashing .251/.331/.458 in 2023 where he spent most of his year in Double-A.

In 370 Triple-A plate appearances, the thing Corona has hit best is a wall. He’s slashing .220/.304/.332 with 7 round-trippers. Even his Double-A numbers leveled off after a second year there. He graduated from Double-A batting .234/.325/.390 overall in 816 trips to the plate.

A center fielder with speed (133 minor league stolen bases including 24 last season), Corona’s ceiling is probably replicating what Marisnick was or at least should have been with the Mets. Batting only .228/.315/.351 this year in Triple-A in 299 plate appearances, the promotion could be short-lived. Houston is one of several teams rumored to have interest in a center field upgrade.

This season has featured several ex-Mets prospects make their mark as talented center fielders. None is bigger than Pete Crow-Armstrong. On a smaller yet notable scale, the Tampa Bay Rays can only be satisfied with how Jake Mangum has performed. The irony is the Mets are also a candidate to add to their center field depth chart. Corona definitely doesn’t seem in line to bump anyone off the roster. Still, having a muscled up hamster on a team with a flying squirrel and polar bear feels too perfect.