It looks like the NY Mets may have already found their Bo Bichette replacement

The New York Mets' trade deadline fire sale was as wide-reaching as expected, with every impending free agent now playing for a new team. Only time will tell if David Stearns did well in his attempt to reset and retool this roster for the years to come, but no one can say that he didn't give the market everything he had.

The only players with a path to exiting over the offseason who weren't moved were Luis Robert Jr. and Bo Bichette, the former of whom has a club option while the latter has a series of player options. It's understandable given their large salaries in conjunction with the impending lockout, though that doesn't mean either is a lock to stick around.

Robert is already facing the reality of being replaced, thanks to breakout campaigns from rookies A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge. And now, Bichette may be in the same boat, courtesy of the best move Stearns made this summer.

Jefferson Rojas, not Bo Bichette, is the Mets' third baseman of the future

The Mets acquired a lot of quality players at the deadline, but none are more impressive than Jefferson Rojas, who MLB Pipeline already ranks as the system's new No. 1 prospect. They had to package two players -- Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor -- together to get the deal done, but the move should be worth it in the long run.

And that's because Rojas is a legitimate blue-chip talent. A shortstop by trade, he spent a vast majority of his time with the Knoxville Smokies this year playing third base (and has past expereince at second). He's regarded as a good defender at all three spots, though as long as Francisco Lindor is occupying the six in Queens, Rojas will be able to play his where his skills shine brightest: at the hot corner.

It's not just defensive upside we're dreaming on, though. Having only recently turned 21 years old, Rojas has been crushing older competition at Double-A all year long, hitting .270/.339/.461 (114 wRC+) with strong walk (9%) and strikeout (16.4%) rates, quieting some of the concerns around his bat-to-ball skills. Even if his hit tool does wane as he climbs the levels, though, it's hard to argue with a plus defender who has 15 home runs and 17 steals in 91 games.

A lot of his offensive gains are due to physical maturity and the benefits of more reps, but he also overhauled his swing last offseason, aiming to get get his hands (and the barrel of the bat) in position quicker. The benefits have been obvious, and he now profiles as an on-base machine with plus speed and potentially above-average power.

Expect him to get a cup of coffee at Syracuse before the season ends, since he is Rule 5 eligible this upcoming winter. Placing him on the 40-man roster will be more formality than necessity, though, since he should be challenging for the starting third base job in New York as soon as Opening Day of next year.

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