Syracuse Mets: Marcus Stroman trade has huge ramifications on minor leagues

The New York Mets have dealt for right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Toronto Blue Jays. Syracuse prospect Anthony Kay departs.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the New York Mets, parent club of the Syracuse Mets, have struck a deal for pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Going to Toronto is a pair of pitching prospects; Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods-Richardson. Kay who started the season with Double-A Binghamton before being called up to Syracuse will now travel down Interstate-90 to the International League North Division Buffalo Bisons.

After MLB Pipeline updated their midseason rankings for MLB.com Kay remained fourth in the Mets organization while Woods-Richardson was listed at 6th.

Kay pitched a 3.74 ERA in 19 starts this season but has struggled since moving to Triple-A watching his ERA jump to an eye-popping 6.61 in his seven appearances, all starts.

According to Fangraphs Kay’s, batted ball rate has seen a slight change in favor of hitters since his promotion. From Double-A to Triple-A Kay’s, line drive percentage given up has risen from 16.4 percent to 19.8 while flyball rate ticked up from 48.4 percent to 50 percent while giving up a home run on 14.6 percent of all flyballs with Syracuse compared to only 2.6 percent at Binghamton.

In Single-A Columbia, Woods-Richardson, a second-round pick in 2018 started 20 games and threw 78.1 innings and a 4.25 ERA with analytics being more kind than that. Woods-Richardson’s FIP comes in at 2.55 while xFIP even better, 2.28.

New York believes even though they are five games under .500 and six games back of the second Wild Card spot that they can remain to be buyers. Rookie General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen is refusing to be short-sighted understanding that legitimate star power remains in New York with ace Jacob deGrom, rookie phenom, and All-Star Pete Alonso, and hitting machine Jeff McNeil.

Stroman’s acquisition opens up the possibility for the Mets to flip pitchers Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler.

Syndergaard is under team control until 2022, his age 29 season, while Wheeler is a free agent at year’s end. Syndergaard has been linked to division rival Atlanta Braves and fellow potential buyer and seller San Diego Padres.

The Padres offer the deepest farm system in baseball and can help replenish the Metropolitans system with close to Major League-ready talent to help keep their window open with multiple pieces or a number two in the rotation with Stroman behind deGrom for 2020 season and potential beyond.

A Wheeler trade can be more realistic as they will have the potential to offer a qualifying offer to. If Wheeler accepts the offer or is extended to stay in New York then the rotation only grows deeper, or if he turns it down and signs elsewhere the Mets acquire draft pick compensation. Van Wagenen will have to determine if another team will potentially pay more than any future pick would return.

For what this means in Syracuse is the organization will continue to fill with former Major League veterans like Rene Rivera, Danny Espinosa, Dillson Herrera Rajai Davis, and others.

This also means a roster makeover with the addition of future prospects that need additional reps before they are ready for a future playoff charge in the Big Apple. The deadline is 4 p.m., EST Wednesday, July 31st and expects more moves to be made. Until then…