Mets pick up partial Max Scherzer tab to land Ronald Acuna’s brother


If the Mets were seeking a top prospect with superstar bloodlines to help replenish their farm system, they could have done far worse than landing Luisangel Acuña.

Steve Cohen and the Mets paid a heavy price to acquire the 21-year-old younger brother of Braves’ MVP candidate Ronald Acuña Jr., who was the lone return in the blockbuster trade Saturday night of co-ace Max Scherzer to the Rangers, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman.

The 21-year-old shortstop and second baseman was ranked the third-best prospect in the Rangers’ farm system, and the 44th-best in all of baseball.

The Mets’ top two prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are Single-A catcher Kevin Parada (39th overall) and Triple-A shortstop Ronny Mauricio.

The Mets had to pay down much of Scherzer’s remaining contract, including the $43.3 million option for 2024 that the three-time Cy Young winner picked up, to complete the deal.


The Mets obtained Luisangel Acuña (right), the younger brother of Ronald Acuña, as the lone piece in their trade of Max Scherzer to the Rangers.
MLB.com

The Rangers will be responsible for roughly $22.5 million through 2024, while the Mets will pay about $36.6 million of the remaining $59.1 million left on Scherzer’s pact.

The younger Acuña has a slash line of .315/.377/.453 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 51 RBI and 42 stolen bases in 84 games for Double-A Frisco this season.

“My brother is more advanced and better than I was at his age,” Ronald Acuña Jr. told The Dallas Morning News through an interpreter earlier this year. “Maybe I was as talented but not as advanced.”

The Braves’ Acuña is having an MVP-caliber season for the NL East leaders, with 24 home runs, 50 stolen bases and a .993 OPS through 102 games. Of course, he already copped NL Rookie of the Year honors (2018) and made his first of four career All-Star appearances during his age 20 and 21 seasons, respectively.

Luisangel Acuña found himself roadblocked in the middle infield with the Rangers, who signed shortstop Corey Seager to a 10-year deal worth $325 million and second baseman Marcus Semien to a seven-year deal worth $175 million ahead of last season.

He was promoted to the Double-A Texas League for 37 appearances last year after starting the season at High-A Hickory of the South Atlantic League.

Acuña signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for $425,000. That’s more than four times the $100,000 bonus Atlanta gave his brother as a 16-year-old in 2014, before he inked an eight-year deal worth $100 million guaranteed with the Braves in 2019.



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