Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has had success in flipping veterans for prospects — think: Zack Wheeler, Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard — and last August’s trade of veterans John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates for reliever Vic Black and second baseman Dilson Herrera looks like no exception.
Black has already made an impact in the majors, and the 5-foot-10, 150-pound Herrera is flying through the minors and could be in Flushing in the near future.
In 104 games across two minor league levels this season, the 20-year-old is hitting .320 with nine homers, 56 RBIs, 26 doubles and 21 stolen bases.
“We thought offensively, he was advanced and could stay in the middle infield,” said Mets director of vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta, when asked about what made Herrera an attractive prospect.
Luis Rivera, now Herrera’s hitting coach with Double-A Binghamton, agrees with that read.
“[I’m] very impressed,” Rivera said. “He’s really consistent at the plate and that’s really good for his age.”
Herrera, a native of Cartagena, Colombia, who was signed by the Pirates as an international free agent in 2010, started the year in High-A St. Lucie and played 67 games there, hitting .307 with a .765 OPS and 14 stolen bases.
He was promoted to Binghamton in mid-June and has had no trouble in the Eastern League. Entering Friday, he was hitting .344 with a .960 OPS in 151 at-bats.
“I don’t think anything fazes him,” DePodesta said. “It’s difficult to get traded. We’ll see how guys react this week at the major league level, especially [when getting traded] for the first time. Your first instinct is to try to prove how good you are, and that you deserve to be well thought of in the eyes of the new organization. This guy, it hasn’t fazed him. Moving up levels, the competition, [it] hasn’t fazed him.”
Rivera said: “He’s really under control all the time. When you are under control [when] loading your swing, the bat speed is going to be there. To have that consistent swing playing at this level is really impressive. He can hit to all fields with authority — drive it with pop anywhere on the field. Impressive for a 20-year-old.”
In addition to wielding a hot bat, Herrera has been steady in the field, with a .966 fielding percentage at second base. He’s also appeared in 27 games at shortstop.
“[He has] good hands, good instincts, and he can play a good second base,” Rivera said. “He can play short, but I think his best position will be second base.”
Daniel Murphy is entrenched as the Mets’ second baseman, but he is scheduled to become a free agent following the 2015 season. If the Mets deem him too pricey to keep this offseason, he may be traded.
Should that happen, the Mets can take comfort in the fact that they appear to have a capable replacement waiting in the wings.