3 Mets prospects acquired at the trade deadline David Stearns shouldn't be afraid to deal

2) Ronald Hernandez

Ronald Hernandez joined the Mets in the David Robertson trade. Now 20 and coming off of a solid season spent mostly in Rookie Ball, the availability of trading Hernandez away less than a year after acquiring him is an easy conclusion to make.

Hernandez’s main position at the moment is catcher. The Mets already have Francisco Alvarez in the majors and Kevin Parada far closer to the majors than Hernandez. In the right deal, Stearns shouldn’t be shy about trading away Hernandez.

There isn’t anything close to the amount of urgency to trade Hernandez as he’s a few years away still from Rule 5 Draft eligibility. Trading away young catchers too soon isn’t necessary either. Even if you have one young one you really like, it doesn’t hurt to have another for backup duties.

Consider Hernandez excess cargo in the pipeline. There’s nothing wrong with having a young catcher like him around if only to watch him develop further and become an even bigger trade chip. On the other hand, if someone comes calling this winter and the deal feels right, there’s nothing wrong with dealing him away more swiftly.