The New York Mets announced the acquisition of veteran outfielder Tyler Naquin and lefty reliever Phillip Diehl in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets gave up minor prospect pitcher Jose Acuña and minor prospect second baseman Hector Rodríguez for the duo.
The Reds have been looking to deal Naquin for some time now, considering that he is playing on an expiring contract. The former first-round pick has been batting .246 in 2022 while hitting seven homers with 33 RBIs. The 31-year-old player, who previously also played with the Cleveland Guardians, is a .269 career hitter.
Naquin probably won’t be the start of the show for the Mets, but he does add some depth as a left-handed bat to the team’s outfield that could prove important down the stretch. He is also expected to be a part of the group that handles DH tasks.
Diehl might be considered a throw-in since he’ll head to the minor league for the time being. If he does well there, he might be proved useful for bullpen depth later on.
For the Reds, this deal was about extracting as much possible for devaluated assets. They will add a fine boost to their farm system and might see value from Rodríguez, who was regarded as one of the Mets’ top 30 prospects.
