Jarred Kelenic's name has come up in trade talks between the Mets and Mariners as part of a potential Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz deal, and two scouts said including Kelenic would be a big mistake.
"He's still young but he has a chance to be a superstar," one of the scouts told Harper.
Along with Kelenic, pitching prospects Justin Dunn and INF Jeff McNeil have also had their names come up in trade talks, according to SNY's Andy Martino. Parameters of the deal could also have the Mets trading Jay Bruce and getting significant money from the Mariners to help offset Cano's salary.
Kelenic,19, was the Mets' first round pick (sixth overall) in the 2018 MLB Draft, and was viewed as a consensus Top 100 prospect shortly after.
He hit .286/.371/.468 with six homers, six triples, 10 doubles, and 15 steals in 56 games split between the rookie level Gulf Coast League and Kingsport in what was his professional debut.
"He's universally considered one of the best pure hitters in the (Draft) class, with good feel for the strike zone and a mechanically-sound swing that he repeats well," John Sickels wrote for Minor League Ball shortly before Kelenic was drafted. "His hitting skills are quite polished, especially for a cold-weather bat."
Kelenic, who is arguably the highest-ceiling prospect in the Mets' organization, is currently the No. 69 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects list.
Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |
In iterations of this deal that had the Mets getting Cano and Diaz while unloading Bruce and giving up a prospect of the non-Kelenic variety, it seemed too good to be true. A deal that has the same general parameters but includes Kelenic? That would be too bad to be true.
The idea of geting Cano (who is 36 years old but still highly productive) while unloading Bruce and adding arguably the best closer in baseball is tantalizing. But if it comes at the expense of Kelenic, the Mets should move on and simply sign one of the many high-impact relievers available on the free agent market.
Yes, many prospects flame out. But so do relievers. And trading the kind of high-impact player Kelenic could be in the deal for Cano makes no sense. Justin Dunn? Sure. Andres Gimenez? Sure. But Kelenic should be off limits.