The R.A. Dickey trade has proven to be one of the best deals New York Mets’ General Manager Sandy Alderson has made in his tenure. Alderson took advantage of Dickey’s Cy Young campaign in 2012 and flipped him to the Toronto Blue Jays, a team desperate to snap a long playoff drought, for a package of four players. The headliners of the trade were Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud, but Alderson also landed catcher John Buck (who was dealt to Pittsburgh later that year for Dilson Herrera, who eventually was turned into Jay Bruce) and an intriguing young outfielder, Wuilmer Becerra. Becerra, who was 18 when the Mets got him in the Dickey deal, is the focus of this week’s edition of Minor League Mondays.
The development cycle for Becerra has been slow, but the Mets saw enough out of him to add him to their 40 man roster over the winter. Becerra had flashed some promise for Low-A Savannah in 2015, batting .290 with nine homers and 63 RBI’s in 118 games, but a shoulder injury ruined his 2016 campaign with High-A St. Lucie. The Mets opted to have Becerra repeat the level this season and the results were mixed, as Becerra only batted .267 with four homers and 44 RBI’s in 128 games. Beccera’s strikeouts also ballooned as compared to his 2015 campaign, striking out 36 more times despite adding only 10 games to his season totals.
While his statistics are a bit underwhelming, it is important to remember that Beccera is still just 22 years old and coming off a shoulder injury that probably sapped some of his power. There is still time for Beccera, who MLB.com ranks as the Mets’ 14th best prospect, to turn things around and realize his vast potential. The Mets will likely start Beccera at AA Binghamton next season, a big jump that should test whether or not he will ever make it as a pro. Beccera should have more effective power being a full year removed from the shoulder injury, but his development next year will be worth watching as the 2018 campaign unfolds.
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