The New York Mets only made two major trades prior to the deadline, and their second deal was much better received than the first. That swap sent Asdrubal Cabrera to the Philadelphia Phillies for right handed pitcher Franklyn Kilome, who was rated as the tenth best prospect in the Phillies’ farm system. Kilome, who became the fifth best prospect in the Mets’ system according to MLB.com, is the focus of this week’s edition of Minor League Mondays.
The Phillies had assigned Kilome to their AA affiliate in Reading, where he went 4-6 with a 4.24 ERA in 19 starts. Kilome was a highly regarded prospect for the Phillies entering the year due to his plus fastball and above average curve, but command has been a problem for the talented righty. Batters drew 51 walks in 102 innings while Kilome was in Reading, perhaps playing a role in the Phillies’ decision to sacrifice him for a rental in Cabrera. The Mets happily inserted Kilome into the rotation for AA Binghamton, where he has pitched to a 3.09 ERA and (most importantly) has only walked three batters in 11.2 innings pitched.
If Kilome can reach the potential that scouts saw in him as recently as this April, the Mets may have a steal on their hands. The Mets need to develop their next wave of starting pitchers, and Kilome joins a talented group with the likes of Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay, David Peterson, and Thomas Szapucki. Adding a good arm like Kilome also gives the Mets the flexibility to trade off a young pitcher as part of a package to improve the major league roster. For now, the plan appears to be for Kilome to finish the season with Binghamton and potentially go to big league spring training in 2019. Kilome should start next season in AAA as the Mets’ affiliate moves to Syracuse, allowing the franchise to get a true gauge of his progress away from the wacky hitting environments of the Pacific Coast League.
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