- Trade Zack Wheeler to the Texas Rangers for SS Jurickson Profar
The first big move for the Mets this offseason. The former top prospect, Profar, is just 22 years old and is coming off of a season in which he missed major time due to injury. However, Profar is believed to be a stud, and is already gaining awards in his return to the Arizona Fall League. Profar hit .278/.370/.438 in Triple-A in 2013 before battling injuries in 2014 and 2015. This means Profar could likely be bought on the ‘cheap,’ after his price might have been a Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom just a few seasons ago. In his minor league career, Profar hit .276/.365/.446 overall, which makes one wonder why Texas would trade a 22-year-old shortstop who should be an All-Star for years to come? Well, the Rangers have no room for him. They already owe Elvis Andrus $15 million a year until 2023, and young star Rougned Odor occupies second base. In this deal, Texas gets a young promising starter in Wheeler, who should be a 2-3 man in a rotation for years to come, and will look nice in a rotation with Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish. As for the Mets, Profar could be the shortstop of the future they’ve been looking for, and allows the team to move Wilmer Flores to second where he is much more effective offensive and defensively. Profar makes just $509,000, and is under team control until 2019. The Mets’ payroll remains $96.5 million.
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