In a Mets-Pirates deal built around Huascar Brazoban, New York would land three prospects, and each one fills a different kind of need.
The headliner is Edgleen Perez, the Pirates’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He’s a 20-year-old catcher and the third catcher in their rankings, with two others sitting at Nos. 6 and 7.
The appeal starts with the glove. MLB Pipeline’s scouting report on Perez says:
“Defensively, Perez is a natural receiver with fantastic hands and excellent blocking and receiving skills to go along with plus arm strength and accuracy. Young Pirates arms are going to enjoy throwing to him, and he’s already shown a knack for calling a game. His glove gives him a high floor as a backup, and if he can find some offensive consistency, he could develop into more than that.”
That defensive profile is exactly the kind of thing the Mets tend to value behind the plate under David Stearns. Perez, who was born in Venezuela, could eventually fit as a partner for Francisco Alvarez, and at the very least he looks like a possible backup down the road. Luis Torrens is signed through 2028, but Perez would still have a path to develop into a reserve or even push for more by then.
The bat is the part that still needs work. Perez is hitting .288/.377/.343 in A-Ball, which is a nice step forward after a .600 OPS last season, but the glove is what makes him the most interesting piece for New York.
The Mets would also get Wilber Dotel, the Pirates’ No. 15 prospect. Dotel is already in the majors, where he has a 4.84 ERA in 22.1 innings.
The strikeout stuff stands out - a 10.4 K/9 rate - and the walk rate, 3.6 BB/9, leaves room for optimism. New York is going to need optional relievers with upside next season, especially after struggles from Ryan Lambert and Dylan Ross wiped out two options many expected to still be around by the end of 2026.
Dotel’s minor league track record has mostly come as a starter, but the Mets would likely use him in relief.
The third piece is Tony Blanco Jr., a 6-foot-7 first baseman/DH with real power. He has 13 home runs in A-Ball this season and looks the part of a classic boom-or-bust slugger.
He doesn’t hit for much average and doesn’t draw many walks, but the raw power is obvious. For a Mets system that already has Ryan Clifford trying to sort things out in Triple-A, another big power bat would add depth at a spot without a clear answer.
For Pittsburgh, moving Brazoban would mean giving up a controllable and relatively cheap arm, even if he’s closer to 40 than 30. The Pirates recently cut Dennis Santana, whose run as one of the league’s better bullpen arms was short-lived, and they still need bullpen help if they want to do more than just make noise.
They’ve been an offense-first team this season, which is a change from what’s usually been true in recent years, and an aggressive winter that brought in players like Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe has helped. But they could still use another bat, and they need arms too.
Brazoban was acquired by the Mets from the New York Yankees at the 2024 trade deadline in a deal that cost them Wilfredo Lara, then their No. 22 prospect. If the Pirates want him in 2026, it figures to take more than that.
Brazoban is one of the more hotly discussed Mets trade candidates, maybe only behind Luke Weaver, and the expectation here is that New York should be able to get at least three quality prospects back. If renting Tyler Rogers last year brought back Drew Gilbert, Blade Tidwell, and Jose Butto, then multiple years of Brazoban won’t come cheap.
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