MLB trade deadline: Mets add Tyler Naquin, Phillip Diehl in four-player swap with Reds

The New York Mets have acquired outfielder Tyler Naquin and left-hander Phillip Diehl from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for right-hander Jose Acuña and utility player Hector Rodríguez. The teams announced the trade on Twitter.

This marks the Mets’ second notable trade of the month, joining the deal last week that netted them Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Naquin, 31, is an impending free agent who emerged during a two-season stint with the Reds as a useful platoon bat. He’s batted .262/.324/.462 (104 OPS+) with 25 home runs and eight stolen bases (on 13 tries) over his last 182 games. Most of his damage has come versus right-handed pitching, as he entered Thursday with a .279/.339/.510 slash line over that span when blessed with the platoon advantage.

Naquin figures to serve in a platoon or pinch-hit capacity for the Mets. At minimum, he should represent an upgrade over Travis Jankowski, the Mets’ current top reserve outfielder.

Diehl, 28, has appeared in five games with the Reds’ big-league team this season, giving him 21 for his career. He’s amassed a 9.47 ERA (55 ERA+) and a 2.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio across those appearances. He throws a low-90s fastball with good spin and a slider.

Acuña, 19, has tallied a 2.88 ERA and a 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 40 career innings. He recently made his debut in A-ball, where Statcast data had him topping out in the mid-90s. Neither FanGraphs nor Baseball America ranked him among the Mets’ 30 best prospects. 

Rodríguez, 18, is a career .321/.377/.500 hitter who has split this season between a complex league and A-ball.  He was ranked as the Mets’ 30th best prospect by FanGraphs in the preseason, with Eric Longenhagen noting that he has “plus-plus bat control” despite “very little physical projection.”