The Braves acquired Mets prospects. Whalen, Gant
Atlanta reportedly traded infielders Uribe and Johnson for a pair of pitchers.
New York — The Mets dealt No. 18 prospect Rob Whalen and fellow right-handed starter John Gant to the Braves on Friday in exchange for veteran infielders Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe, according to several reports.
Whalen was selected in the 12th round of the 2012 Draft and has spent the entire season with Class A Advanced St. Lucie, where he is 4-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 15 games, 14 starts, and 83 innings. He has 61 strikeouts and 34 walks, limiting opponents to a.231 average.
Whalen, who was limited by a hand injury last season, is a ground-ball pitcher with a sinking fastball, changeup, and curveball. In 2014, he went 9-2 with a 1.94 ERA in 14 games, most of which were with Class A Savannah. The 21-year-old is 16-9 with a 2.43 ERA in 42 Minor League appearances, striking out 201 and walking 72 over 226 innings across three levels.
Gant, 22, was the Mets’ 21st-round choice in 2011 from Wiregrass Ranch High School in Florida. This season, he has split his time between St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton, finishing 6-5 with a 3.52 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 99 2/3 innings in 17 starts.
Since 2011, the 6-foot-3 pitcher has gone 26-19 with a 3.38 ERA in 362 1/3 innings. He was a Florida State League postseason All-Star last year after being selected a South Atlantic League midseason All-Star. In 2013, he was also named a New York-Penn League All-Star for Class A Short Season Brooklyn.
Uribe, 36, and Johnson, 33, both provide possibilities for the Mets at third base while David Wright is out with a back issue. Uribe, in the final year of a two-year contract, is batting.285 with seven home runs, 17 RBIs, and a.353 on-base percentage in 46 games with the Braves.
Johnson, the Braves’ first-round choice in 2000, returned to Atlanta this year following stints with the D-backs, Blue Jays, Rays, Yankees, Red Sox, and Orioles. He is hitting.275 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs in 62 games.
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