Scouting the Cleveland Indians/New York Mets trade
Sam Haggerty
Another guy that needed to be protected on the 40-man, Haggerty was originally drafted in the 24th round of the 2015 draft out of the University of New Mexico. He’s really shown to be a solid guy around the field with the glove over his minor league career, flashing plus to double-plus speed.
Standing at 5’10”-5’11” and weighing in at a lean 175-180 pounds, Haggerty is not a guy that will ever generate a ton of power. He has been able to pound the gaps in his minor league career, however.
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His first full season in 2016 was spent in the low-A Midwest League, with a .230/.323/.320 line over 100 games, hitting 15 doubles, 2 triples, and 4 home runs, while stealing 12 bases. He had a much better season in 2017 in high-A, hitting .253/.355/.398 with 27 doubles, 13 triples, 3 home runs, and 49 stolen bases.
While he fought through injuries in 2018, Haggerty played across the upper levels in AA and AAA, hitting .239/.369/.384 with 21 doubles, 5 triples, and 4 home runs, stealing 26 bases.
With an above-average arm and his plus speed, Haggerty can play shortstop passingly, but he’s best utilized at second base in the dirt. His arm allows him to handle third base as well, and he has experience playing in the outfield.
That level of defensive flexibility, speed, and an excellent eye (15.9% walk rate in 2018) would likely allow him to work as a utility backup guy in a major league clubhouse. He will almost certainly open 2019 in AAA, but the New York Mets may choose to bring up his speed and versatility for a late-season run if they’re in the race.
Next. Scouting the J.D. Davis deal. dark
While not the biggest deal in terms of elite players for either side, this is the type of deal that brings the depth that could have an impact on the playoff hopes of either the Cleveland Indians or New York Mets in 2019.