A potential wild card for the New York Mets took an important step in his long rehabilitation process. Would the team now consider trading him away for pitching help?
Infielder Ronny Mauricio was scheduled to be the designated hitter in an extended spring training game Tuesday. It would be the first live game for the 24-year-old since he suffered a torn ACL while playing in the Dominican Winter League during the 2023 offseason.
“The fact that he’s going to get now game action, that’s a good sign,” said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
“Hopefully we’ll get him some reps defensively, start playing him full games in extended, and then, you know, we’ll move him.”
Ronny Mauricio Takes Big Step Toward Return to Major Leagues
GettyNew York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio took a significant step in his rehabilitation from a knee injury.
Mauricio created some excitement for the Mets during his rookie season in 2023. The lanky, 6-foot-4 athlete hit .248 in 26 games late in the season, with 7 stolen bases and 11 runs scored.
After being forced to shut down while rehabbing from the original procedure on his knee, as well as arthroscopic surgery in August 2024 to remove a mass of scar tissue, Mauricio said heading into spring training that he can “finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
“I’m very excited for that moment when I’m able to come back,” he said.
Could that potentially happen for a different team?
Package of Ronny Mauricio, Nolan McLean Proposed for Seattle Ace Luis Castillo
GettySeattle pitcher Luis Castillo is the target of a proposed trade sending New York Mets prospects Ronny Mauricio and Nolan McLean.
The pitching for the Mets has been as good as anyone could have expected so far this season. The team is second in the league in runs allowed, and none of the five starters has an ERA higher than 3.66.
However, Zach Pressnell of Newsweek opines that the Mets need a bonafide ace to compete with the other top playoff contenders in the National League, and he proposes that the Mets send Mauricio and right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean, the No. 5 prospect in New York’s system, to Seattle for Luis Castillo.
“The righty has been very consistent for the Mariners and the Cincinnati Reds during the length of his big league career,” Pressnell wrote. “Sending him to the Mets would give New York a top pitcher to go head to head with guys like Spencer Strider and Shohei Ohtani in the National League postseason.”
Meanwhile, Pressnell notes that in addition to the versatility and potential of Mauricio, the Mariners would acquire a pitching prospect who has been impressive since he was picked in the third round of the 2023 draft.
“He has a developed arsenal with one of the best sliders in the minor leagues,” Pressnell wrote. “In Seattle’s system, he could be a star in the making.”
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Proposed Mets Trade Offloads Potential Star for Ace Candidate