Mets Stay Busy, Acquire J.D. Davis From Astros In Five-Player Trade

The Mets continue to stay busy under new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.

One day after trading three prospects to Milwaukee for Keon Broxton, the Mets made another prospects-for-veteran deal on Sunday. New York acquired third baseman J.D. Davis and minor league infielder Cody Bohanek from the Astros in exchange for minor league infielder Luis Santana, minor league outfielder Ross Adolph and minor league league catcher Scott Manea.

Davis joins Broxton as depth on the Mets’ bench, and he is part of Van Wagenen’s push to get the Mets in shape to contend in 2019.

“J.D. is a versatile offensive talent,” Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said. “He’s young, had success versus lefties, and he’ll provide depth at the corner positions.”

METS ACQUIRE:

J.D. Davis, 3B
Age: 25

Davis is somewhat famous for his combination of a power bat and power arm, allowing him to hit home runs en masse and also touch the mid-90s when he’s been put on the mound at the end of blowouts. Davis hit 105 home runs in five minor league seasons, but he found himself blocked in Houston with Alex Bregman holding down third base and Tyler White emerging as the team’s preferred righthanded bench option. Now, Davis has a path to semi-regular playing time in New York, where he can serve as Todd Frazier’s backup at third base and slide over to first base and the outfield as needed. Davis made strides at Triple-A in 2018, going from a suspect third baseman with power to being a more complete hitter and better defender. He’ll get the chance to show those improvements in New York.

Cody Bohanek, 2B/3B
Age: 23

Bohanek was the Astros 30th-round pick in 2017 out of Illinois and spent most of his first full season at high Class A Buies Creek, with a short stint at Triple-A Fresno. He’s a light-hitting infielder who can bounce around and play second base, shortstop and third base as needed. He has a chance to open at Double-A Binghamton and projects as an organizational utilityman.

ASTROS ACQUIRE:

Luis Santana, 2B
Age: 19

Santana grew up boxing as well as playing baseball in the Dominican Republic. He takes that tenacity and toughness from the ring onto the field. Signed for $200,000 in 2016, Santana has hit at every level and put together a .348/.446/.481 slash line at Rookie-level Kingsport in 2018. Short but strong in his 5-foot-8, 175-pound frame, Santana has a knack for being on time, has tremendous bat-to-ball skills and makes consistent hard contact. He’s solid defensively with advanced instincts at second base and flashes surprising arm strength. Santana plays hard and aggressive, but not so much that he’s ever out of control. He will open 2019 at low Class A Quad Cities.

Ross Adolph, OF
Age: 22

The Mets drafted Adolph in the 12th round out of Toledo last summer and he delivered a sterling debut at short-season Brooklyn, ranking third in the New York-Penn League with an .857 OPS and winning MVP of the league’s all-star game. The lefthanded-hitting Adolph is a grinding outfielder who can play all three outfield positions and shows above-average raw power. He is prone to striking out, but he takes competitive at-bats and makes hard contact when he connects. He even showed speed with 12 triples and 14 stolen bases at Brooklyn. Adolph will make his Astros debut at the Class A levels next season, with a chance to jump straight to high Class A Fayetteville.

Scott Manea, C
Age: 23

The Mets signed Manea as an undrafted free agent from St. Petersburg (Fla.) JC in 2016. After two unremarkable pro seasons, he stood out at low Class A Columbia in 2018, batting .261 with 12 home runs, 53 RBIs and an .800 OPS. Manea is an offensive-minded catcher with pull-side power who is working to improve his receiving and catch and throw skills. He packs solid-average raw power in his bulky 5-foot-11, 216-pound frame and controls the strike zone well, limiting his strikeouts. He’s physically maxed out and not particularly athletic behind the plate, which limiting his ability to improve defensively. He caught in only 65 of the 100 games he played at Columbia, although he showed arm strength by throwing out 37 percent of attempted basestealers. He is slated to open 2019 at high Class A Fayetteville.