Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong is reportedly a top player to know as New York navigates the trade market.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported Saturday that the 22-year-old right-hander “is highly coveted in trade talks” with the Mets valuing Tong “highly” but “listening.”
Fellow right-hander Nolan McLean, meanwhile, “is viewed as off-limits” with outfielder Carson Benge “close to that,” Heyman added.
McLean and Benge are the highest-ranked prospects in Joe DeMayo‘s offseason top 30 for SNY. Tong is fourth behind infielder/center fielder Jett Williams.
Tong went 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts this past season. He rose through the Mets’ farm system, starting the year with Double-A Binghamton before elevating to Triple-A Syracuse in August and New York by the end of the month.
Tong’s MLB debut on Aug. 29 against the Miami Marlins was a 19-9 win for the Mets. He allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out six and walking none.
His next four starts were mixed. Tong’s final outing, a 10-3 loss at the Chicago Cubs, saw him last two innings while surrendering five runs on seven hits with two walks to one strikeout.
“Tong could use a little more minor league time, but with improvement in command and refinement of a third and maybe fourth pitch, the sky’s the limit,” DeMayo wrote. “Without that development, there is a non-zero chance for some reliever risk.”
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