3 Mets prospects who are obvious trade bait, 2 whose fate has yet to be determined

Cautious is a word to describe the New York Mets this offseason. They didn’t swing any of those big blockbuster trades nor should we expect them to do so before Opening Day. The farm system has remained intact as the club continues to build upon what has now become a strength of the organization.

Within this farm system are some obvious trade candidates as well as a few others who could determine their fate in the coming year. Which Mets prospects are bound to get traded and which others may soon join as obvious candidates to get dealt?

Mets prospect Kevin Parada is obvious trade bait

There isn’t a more obvious prospect the Mets could trade than Kevin Parada. At a position already locked in by a guy who held the number one spot in MLB not that long ago, the catcher conundrum for the Mets isn’t so debatable. Parada’s destiny won’t have him squatting behind home plate at Citi Field in anything other than road grays or perhaps an ugly neon Player’s Weekend uniform.

Parada didn’t do much to engage in some sort of future catcher controversy. In 2023, the 11th overall pick batted .248/.324/.428 with 14 home runs spread throughout stints from A-Ball up to Double-A. Striking out 126 times in 105 games didn’t help matters much either nor did a defensive season where it has come into question whether he’ll even be a major league catcher.

The Mets could always find a spot for Parada as a backup catcher or even have him change positions. The backup route certainly seems to make more sense, at least in terms of playing time. The plethora of prospects they have at a wide variety of positions doesn’t resolve anything easily. And unless Parada can hit at a high level, his only real value will come as a catcher anyway.

Mets prospect Alex Ramirez can decide his fate in 2024

Alex Ramirez was another prospect who came into the 2023 season well-hyped only to fall flat. Present on the team’s 40-man roster in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, the clock has already begun to tick on him.

Through three professional seasons, Ramirez has hit .254/.328/.380. His crown jewel season came in 2022 when he graduated from St. Lucie to Brooklyn. The year featured a .281/.346/.436 slash line, 11 home runs, and 21 stolen bases.

The Mets chose to keep Ramirez in Brooklyn in 2023 and the performance never warranted a promotion. This time, he hit .221/.310/.317 with 7 home runs and 21 stolen bases. His walk total did increase despite fewer plate appearances. The drop in the number of total bases from 217 to 145 is one of the more significant results.

Ramirez had been viewed as a possible future center fielder for the Mets. While not completely written off, the emergence of Jett Williams has by far overtaken anything Ramirez was projected to become.

A 21-year-old outfielder with Ramirez’s tools will always have value on the trade market. Right now, he’s on the fringe of becoming an obvious trade candidate. How he does in 2024 will determine where he fits in. Another bad year and he might just become a lost soul in the farm system. If he plays well, the Mets will have to think if he’s a part of the future or someone to sell at a high.

Mets prospect Luisangel Acuna can decide his fate in 2024

Luisangel Acuna finished 2023 ranked as the nearly unanimous number one prospect in the Mets system. He’s starting off 2024 a few spots down. A poor performance when he joined Binghamton is likely one of the reasons why, as is the far more superior numbers put up by some of his fellow prospects.

The subjectivity of top prospect lists aside, Acuna runs into some of the same problems as Mauricio. Where does he play? Second base is the obvious solution. Third base and maybe even some outfield could be how he starts off.

Already present on the 40-man roster and with an option used up by the Texas Rangers last year, it’s an absolute must for Acuna to reach the majors this year. The Mets need to know a little more what he can or cannot do. Figuring out where he plays can get resolved another time—unless of course the Mets trade him first.

Acuna is a unique prospect if only because he’s the younger brother of the reigning NL MVP. There’s something to name value. Would the infamous Billy Ripken baseball card be so popular if he wasn’t the brother of Cal Ripken Jr.?

The Mets have a lot of directions they can go with Acuna. We should get answers in 2024.

Mets prospect Nick Morabito is obvious trade bait

A much lesser discussed prospect in the farm system, Nick Morabito is a second-round pick from 2022 whose abilities have thus far focused on making contact and hitting for a high average. The 2023 season is the only one to judge him on. A .306/.421/.407 slash line with 21 stolen bases is intriguing, yet not enough for us to clear out a roster spot in the future.

Morabito showed himself to be a singles hitter. He knocked only 2 home runs and found his way to second base 9 times with a double. Used mostly as a center fielder, he has a long way to go before the hype train stops at his station.

There really is no telling how good of a player Morabito can develop into. A .300+ batting average at any level is impressive. Add in an OBP over .400 and we have ourselves a statistician’s dream.

Players like this, however, tend to blend in. Exactly what is his ceiling? Fifth outfielder? There’s a lot of Jake Mangum in him. That’s the guy the Mets added as the Player to Be Named later in last winter’s trade with the Miami Marlins for Jeff Brigham and Elieser Hernandez. Morabito, as an eventual piece in a somewhat similar trade, is where he’s trending.