MLB trade grades: Mets upgrade thanks to Joey Wendle replacement with David Stearns ties

Mets fans have a new infielder to complain about. Following a trade with the Boston Red Sox, New York added Pablo Reyes to the mix.

This trade is the second time Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has acquired Reyes. In January 2021, Reyes signed a minor league deal with the Brewers while Stearns was leading Milwaukee's front office.

Over the years, Reyes has competed at the major league level for the Athletics, Pirates, Brewers, and Red Sox. During the 2021-22 season, Reyes appeared in 58 MLB games for the Brewers before landing in Boston, with a brief stint with the A's in between. 

Reyes has had over 572 Major League plate appearances. He played in six of the last seven MLB seasons but missed all of 2020 due to an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Is Pablo Reyes a major upgrade for the New York Mets?

Last season alone, Reyes had a career-high 185 plate appearances, with a batting average of .287, a .339 on-base percentage, and a .377 slugging percentage, resulting in a 93 wRC+. However, Reyes didn't hit many powerful shots, which affected his overall performance despite his good batting average and on-base numbers.

If the Mets decide to include him in their active roster, they have an available spot on the 40-man roster. If that were to occur, Reyes would have the second-lowest wRC+ on the Mets' active roster, as Omar Narváez has posted a .155/.183/.190 batting line with a nine wRC+.

Throughout his career, Reyes has maintained a .248 batting average, a .309 on-base percentage, a .349 slugging percentage, and a 78 wRC+.

MLB trade grades: Who won the Mets-Red Sox Pablo Reyes deal?

Reyes's defensive versatility has been his standout trait more than his batting skills. Throughout his Major League career, he has played second base, third base, and shortstop while also logging innings in the three outfield positions. He has experience in every position except catcher. However, since the start of the 2022 season, he has exclusively played as an infielder. 

The Mets recently traded Zack Short to the Red Sox and released Joey Wendle earlier this week. Consequently, Reyes joins to help New York with their need for infield help. Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil are deployed daily in middle infield positions. Despite encountering difficulties at the plate, Brett Baty has predominantly taken the responsibilities at third base. Mark Vientos has been performing impressively, aiming to secure his spot in the majors and earn more playing time alongside Baty.

Given Reyes' lack of minor-league options, the Mets must maintain him on the active roster unless they designate him for assignment before appointing him to Triple-A. If Reyes passes the waiver process and is later removed from the 40-man roster, he can opt for free agency instead of accepting the minor league assignment, a privilege granted due to his prior outright assignment experience.

Mets trade grade: B+

Red Sox trade grade: B