Mets get Delgado a year after losing free-agent chase

By Jim Callis
November 24, 2005

The Mets lost out to the Marlins in the free-agent hunt for Carlos Delgado after the 2004 season, but they finally got their man on Thanksgiving. New York acquired Delgado from Florida in exchange for three prospects: righthander Yusmeiro Petit, first baseman/catcher Mike Jacobs and third baseman Grant Psomas. The Marlins also sent $7 million to the Mets toward the three years and $48 million remaining on Delgado's contract.

Florida finalized a second major trade on Thursday, sending Josh Beckett to Boston in a seven-player deal.

Delgado, 33, reached 30 homers for the ninth consecutive season in 2005, hitting .301/.399/.582 with 33 homers and 115 RBIs in 144 games in his first year in the National League. He remains as dangerous as ever, an all-around hitter who produces for power and average and also draws lots of walks. He's not much of a baserunner or defender at first base. He's a career .284/.393/.559 hitter with 369 homers and 1,173 RBIs in 1,567 games.

Petit, a 21-year-old righthander, was the best pitching prospect in the Mets system and will compete for a job in a decimated Marlins rotation. Signed out of Venezuela in 2001, he has gone 28-20, 2.71 with 491 strikeouts in 402 innings. He's not as overpowering as those numbers would suggest, however. Petit's command and deception, more than sheer stuff, give batters fits. He has good life on an 88-90 mph fastball and also throws a changeup, slider and curveball. He went 9-6, 3.60 in 24 starts this year, including an 0-3, 9.20 performance following a late-season promotion to Triple-A Norfolk. In 133 combined innings, he had a 144-24 K-BB ratio and allowed a .230 average and 20 homers.

Jacobs, 25, attracted attention by batting .310/.375/.710 with 11 homers and 23 RBIs in 30 games after getting his first big league callup in August. He'll factor in the competition to replace Delgado in the Florida lineup, with fellow prospect Josh Willingham looming as his biggest competition. A 38th-round pick out of Grossmont (Calif.) JC in 1999, Jacobs batted .321/.376/.589 with 25 homers and 93 RBIs in 117 games to win the Double-A Eastern League MVP award before his promotion. He's a lefthanded pull hitter with power, though it remains to be seen if big league pitchers will exploit his lack of plate discipline. Jacobs signed as a catcher, but he's a below-average defender who won't see much time there in the majors. Tearing the labrum in his throwing shoulder in 2004 didn't help his arm strength.

Psomas, 23, exploded in his first full season after signing as a 15th-round pick from West Virginia in 2004. He batted .301/.399/.517 wtih 20 homers and 69 RBIs in 133 games between low Class A Hagerstown and high Class A St. Lucie. A gap hitter with some pull power, he understands the strike zone but is still working on pitch recognition. He's an average defender with some arm strength.