Mets Continue Selloff, Deal Tommy Pham To D-backs For Top International Signee Jeremy Rodriguez — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects
Jessica Wilkins Image credit:Tommy Pham (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
The Mets continued their selloff with one more big move before the trade deadline.
The Mets traded outfielder Tommy Pham to the D-backs on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for 17-year-old shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez. The deal finished off a busy week for the Mets in which they traded Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, David Robertson, Mark Canha and Dominic Leone as the franchise turned its eyes toward the future following a disappointing showing in 2023.
Pham will be joining his fifth team in the last three seasons. Rodriguez was the D-backs’ top international signing this year but did not yet rank among their Top 30 prospects.
METS ACQUIRE
Jeremy Rodriguez, SS
Age: 17
Rodriguez signed with the D-backs for $1.25 million out of the Dominican Republic in January as their top signing in the international class. He didn’t turn 17 until July 4 and has held his own as one of the youngest players in the Dominican Summer League this year, batting .256/.371/.393 with 10 extra-base hits and 12 stolen bases in 36 games. Rodriguez is a projectable 6-foot, 170-pound shortstop with an easy lefthanded swing and advanced strike-zone discipline. He squares up fastballs, recognizes spin and just needs to get stronger with age and maturity. He’s a solid defender at shortstop who has a chance to stick at the position with a plus arm. Rodriguez is many years away and requires a lot of strength gains, but he has a promising foundation as a young middle infielder who projects to hit.
D-BACKS ACQUIRE
Tommy Pham, OF
Age: 35
The mercurial but talented Pham has hit .268/.348/.472 with 10 home runs, 36 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 79 games this season. He’s been particularly dangerous against lefties and has hit eight of his 10 home runs against them. Pham gives the D-backs a second righthanded-hitting outfield option (along with Lourdes Gurriel Jr.) to balance out their lefty-heavy outfield group that includes Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy. He will be a free agent after the season.
