In the first exchange since the MLB transaction freeze was lifted, the Padres are ready to gain perspective inside the box Jorge Mateo of Athletics, Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel from the ESPN report (Twitter link). Oakland will receive a player who will be named later in return. San Diego has announced the exchange.
Long regarded as one of baseball’s most promising prospects, due in large part to his 80-degree speed, Mateo has yet to make his major league debut. The 25-year-old was a centerpiece in the trade that sent the right Sonny Gray from Oakland to New York, but he hasn’t had a chance in the big leagues with either the Yankees or the Athletics. However, he has been on the 40 player roster for both clubs long enough to have exhausted all of his minor league options. In other words, you will need to be on the Parent Opening Day list or else be designated for assignment.
Mateo was one of several players in the mix for playing second base in Oakland, racing Franklin Barreto, Tony Kemp and the choice of Rule 5 Vimael Machin for that role now in san diego once again you will be looking towards Jurickson Profar – a former prospect ballyhooed himself – and hoping to find his way into the batting mix. Mateo also has a bit of experience in center field, having recorded 247 innings there in 2017.
It is easy to see why Mateo was so highly regarded in 2015-16. He divided the 2015 campaign between Class A and Advanced Class A at just 20 years old and cut a combined .278 / .345 / .392. He only hit a home run twice, but Mateo added 23 doubles, 11 triples and 82 stolen bases never seen in today’s game in just 117 games. His stock slowed a bit with a lackluster performance in 2016, but in 2017, Mateo recovered with a .267 / .322 / .459 cut and 52 steals. A shortstop with that kind of start sparked the A’s interest, and the A’s sent Gray to the Bronx in exchange for Mateo, Dustin Fowler and James Kaprielian in a trade that has not really worked for anyone involved now.
Mateo’s numbers collapsed in 2018, and while last year’s reduction of .289 / .330 / .504 in Triple-A was a good rebound, the recovery effort was not as strong as it appears on the surface. That cut line translated to just 96 wRC + in the supercharged offensive environment in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League (where Mateo’s park in Las Vegas is particularly hitter-friendly).
