A’s Land RHP Kade Morris In Paul Blackburn Mets Trade
The A’s agreed to trade RHP Paul Blackburn to the Mets for RHP Kade Morris, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. Morris ranked No. 26 in the Mets farm system. The Mets drafted Morris in the third round last year out of Arizona, where he had spent two seasons in the bullpen before moving to the rotation as a junior. He opened this season at Low-A St. Lucie before moving to High-A Brooklyn at the end of May. He struck out 95 batters against 30 walks in 92.1 innings to go with a 3.51 ERA. Morris pitches at 92-94 mph and tops at 96 with an average four-seam fastball. His greatest asset is his ability to spin a low-80s slider that could be an above-average pitch. He rounds out his arsenal with a curveball and changeup that give him four-pitch, back-of-the-rotation upside.
