While the discussion surrounding the New York Mets has largely focused on their franchise-shifting extension for David Wright and their attempts to trade R.A. Dickey, the team has been actively engaging in conversations across baseball to fill other needs. However, it would appear that the teams the Mets are speaking with continue to ask for the inclusion of Zach Wheeler in any potential deal, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com. Rubin even states that teams have brought up Wheeler’s name in talks about potential backup catchers, which naturally is not a deal the organization is going to make.
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The 22 year old Wheeler is widely viewed as the top prospect in the Mets organization and arguably one of the premier pitching prospects in all of baseball. The former 6th overall selection in the 2009 Draft has long been impressing scouts in the minor leagues and was a surprise addition by the Mets during the 2011 season, acquired from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Carlos Beltran. He’s been named among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects in baseball in each of the past three seasons and was selected to participate in this past July’s All Star Futures Game.
Wheeler went 12-8 with a 3.26 ERA in 149.0 innings (25 starts) this past season, spending most of the season with New York’s Double-A affiliate before a handful of late-season starts at Triple-A. He’s likely heading back to Triple-A for some additional seasoning to begin the 2013 season, but it is not out of the question to think that he could make his MLB Debut for the Mets sometime this coming year.