In its last move to build the depth of organizational pitching, Mets acquired Jordan Yamamoto in exchange for the infielder Federico Polanco. Infielder Robel Garcia was assigned for assignment to make room for Yamamoto on the list of 40 men.
Yamomoto was originally crafted by the Brewers in 2014 before being traded to Miami as part of Christian Yelich’s trade. He debuted in 2019 and showed some promise, eliminating more than one hitter per entry and executing an ERA in the middle of the 4s, despite posting a BB / 9 in four. His 2020 was a disaster – an ERA of 18.26 in three matches – but it was still somewhat surprising to see his Marlins DFA given his combination of potential pedigree, youth and minor league options (a remainder). It is possible that the Mets achieved an attractive long-term piece here, although a deep start or long relief limited by its fast ball speed and command problems is the most likely result.
In terms of what they gave up, the cost for Mets is minimal. Hired with a $ 325,000 bonus during the J2 period of 2017, Polanco is cousin to candidate Ronny Mauricio. He is thin and projectable with some contact skills, and has a chance to remain a second base for offensive guidance. That said, he is 19 and did not appear outside of DSL, nor did he reach the top 25 candidates in a very weak system. It is almost a total lottery ticket and a beautiful piece for a young starter ready for the major league with some advantage.