The Mets entered this off-season with plenty of needs, but one of the more glaring ones is starting pitching.
They previously only had three of their five rotation spots filled for 2024 by Kodai Senga, Luis Severino, and José Quintana before trading for a potential fourth starter on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have acquired RHP Adrian Houser and OF Tyrone Taylor in exchange for pitching prospect Coleman Crow.
Who did the Mets give up?
The Mets dealt away RHP Coleman Crow, who came to the organization via the Eduardo Escobar deal in June.
Crow was selected in the 28th round of the 2019 draft by the Angels and made his minor league debut in 2021 for Single-A Inland. He moved to Double-A Rocket City in 2021 but hit his stride there in 2023.
The Georgia native pitched to a 1.88 ERA through 24 innings while striking out 31 and walking just six batters before having season abruptly end due to needing Tommy John surgery, which is set to keep him out for the entirety of 2024.
According to MLB Pipeline, Crow was the Mets’ 29th-best prospect.
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Who did the Mets receive?
The Mets received a pair of excellent pieces in RHP Adrian Houser and OF Tyrone Taylor.
Houser is coming off a solid 2023, where he pitched 111.1 innings across 23 appearances, 21 of which were starts to a 4.12 ERA with a 1.392 WHIP and struck out 96.
The Oklahoma native had his best season as a big leaguer in 2021 when he pitched 142.1 innings across 28 appearances, 26 of which were starts, to a 3.22 ERA with a 1.279 WHIP and 105 strikeouts.
Taylor has been a consistent outfield piece for the Brewers since 2019 after spending numerous years in the minor leagues after being drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft.
The California native slashed .234/.267/.446 across 81 games in 2023 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs despite missing some time with an elbow injury.
What does this mean for the Mets?
This is an excellent return for a prospect who was available during the Rule 5 draft but was not selected and is set to miss all of 2024.
Houser should fill a role similar to what Trevor Williams provided a couple of years ago but with a little more upside as a consistent backend of the rotation starter.
Taylor is a solid depth outfield piece still under team control for three more years and will fill the Mets’ need for a defensive-oriented outfielder without giving up too much ability at the plate.
New President of Baseball Operations David Stearns is also very familiar with each player, which should excite the Flushing Faithful.
Hopefully, for the blue and orange, both Houser and Taylor will be solid contributors for a Mets team looking to bounce back in 2024.