Traded NY Mets prospect we were told to worry about is finally finding his big league groove

In 2021, there was an incredibly complex three-team trade that involved the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets. Of the many players that changed hands, only one went to the Mets, left-handed starter Joey Lucchesi. His tenure with the Mets was marred by injury, namely Tommy John surgery, and he pitched just 95.1 innings for the team over four seasons.

In exchange, the Mets sent catching prospect Endy Rodríguez to Pittsburgh. At the time, he wasn't a Top 30 prospect in the Mets' system and although he had put up strong results in the minors, he had played in rookie ball for two seasons and for the most part, all eyes were on Francisco Alvarez. It wasn't seen as much of a price to pay but five years later, he's blossomed into a valuable piece of the Pirates' roster.

Eight years after being signed as an international free agent by the Mets, Endy Rodríguez is having a breakout year with his new team

As a rookie in 2023, he was great defensively but lackluster at the plate, posting a 65 wRC+. He missed a lot of time in 2024 and 2025 due to injuries in his throwing arm but now that he's fully healthy in 2026, he has managed to successfully turn things around.

In 114 plate appearances this season, he has posted a 148 wRC+ with an exceptional 17.5% walk rate. His quality of contact numbers have been astounding, boasting a barrel rate of 13.8% and an average exit velocity of 92.4 mph. Of all catchers with more than 100 plate appearances this year, his .495 slugging percentage is sixth in MLB.

Pittsburgh seems committed to him in the long run, notably trading Joey Bart to the Braves a few weeks ago to ensure that Rodríguez would split playing time with Henry Davis. He has been a significant part of the Pirates' lineup but could he have done the same for the Mets had he stuck around?

This season, they've largely relied upon the duo of Francisco Alvarez and Luis Torrens as catchers and both have been serviceable, albeit with flaws. Alvarez missed significant time after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus and has been somewhat effective as a hitter, posting a 106 wRC+ over 204 plate appearances this year, but his defensive issues persist. Torrens has been the opposite, hitting to a disappointing 70 wRC+ but his eight Defensive Runs Saved lead all MLB catchers.

Because he was traded five years ago, it's hard to say whether he'd be in the same position had he remained in the Mets organization. His progress would've still been blocked by the rise of Francisco Alvarez and the club doesn't exactly have the greatest track record of fostering catcher talent.

Even so, the Mets have far bigger problems ahead of them. As the trade deadline approaches and the Mets' playoff chances stand at just 2.5% according to FanGraphs, they're positioned as sellers but their intentions at this year's trade deadline don't seem as straightforward as one might assume. With looming questions on who should remain on the team now and into the future, seeing a former prospect succeed with another major league organization is hardly one of the organization's top concerns but at the very least, one could argue that the Mets had an eye for talent in 2018.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow