CLEVELAND — The Mets may have saved their best two additions at this trade deadline for last.
Jefferson Rojas and Sammy Stafura are those names to watch.
Both infielders arrived to the Mets on Monday in separate deals just hours before the 6 p.m. deadline.
Rojas, the No. 2 Cubs prospect, was acquired in a deal that sent Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor to Chicago. The Mets landed Stafura, the No. 9 Pirates prospect, in a trade for Luke Weaver.
Rojas, 21, plays third base and shortstop. In 91 games this season in Double-A, he owns an .800 OPS with 15 homers and 17 stolen bases. He becomes the No. 1 Mets prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
“A very well-rounded offensive profile,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “He’s young for his level and has really done exactly what you would want to see a player do who was a really well thought of amateur on the international market and has really just performed and progressed throughout his development.”
Stafura, 21, hails from Cortlandt Manor in Westchester County, where he attended Walter Panas High School — and grew up rooting for the Mets. He was a second-round pick by the Reds in 2023 before he was sent to the Pirates in a deal for Ke’Bryan Hayes at last year’s trade deadline.
In 60 games this season over two Class-A levels, Stafura owns a .960 OPS with 20 homers.
“The first thing that jumps off the page with you on Stafura is the defense,” Stearns said. “He’s got tremendous defensive ability. He’s a very good base runner and can impact the game in a variety of different ways.”
Stearns noted that Stafura hit 14 homers over the last month.
“We have seen some bat-speed upticks,” Stearns said. “Clearly, we have seen some exit velocity upticks that have allowed him to get there. This is a player who has real power, who can hit the ball out of the ballpark. When you have that combination, whether it’s doubles power, home run power, plus someone who can play at a high level at shortstop those aren’t easy players to find.”
Stearns was asked whether the Mets prioritized packing two players for a top prospect, was the case in the Rojas deal.
MEts merch shop
New York Post receives revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a purchase.
“Those are the type of deals that we explored throughout the past week,” Stearns said. “We had a lot of interest in a number of our players and so when you have that and you have the same team with interest in multiple players it does give you the ability to package or be creative. We explored a number of those concepts and the Rojas deal was the one that actually came to fruition.”
