Mets Acquire Phillies’ Pitching Prospect Franklyn Kilome in Asdrubal Cabrera Trade

By Jerry Del Priore

In effort to bolster their minor system, and dump some salary, the New York Mets dealt infielder Asdrubal Cabrera to the Philadelphia Phillies for Double-A pitcher Franklyn Kilome Friday.

Kilome jumped to the number 5 prospect spot in the Mets’ organization following the deal.

The 23-year-old Dominican Republic native was 4-6 with a 4.24 ERA with 83 strike outs and 51 walks in 102 innings in 19 game starts with Double-A Redding in 2018.

The Phillies signed the six-foot-six-inch right hander out of the Dominican Republic in 2013 and was the Phillies’ No. 10 prospect.

New York front office brass considers Kilome a raw talent with a fastball that touches the upper-90s, accompanied by a curveball that MLB Pipeline states “often flashes plus.”

The Mets will likely ship Kilome to Double-A Binghamton.

Cabrera, 32, and a free agent at the end of the campaign, was enjoying a solid season with New York, slashing .277/.329/.488 with 18 home runs and 58 RBI in 375 at-bats, often coming through in the clutch for the Mets.

Assistant general manager John Riccio implied that recent 26-year-old call-up Jeff McNeil will now see significant action at second base since the Cabrera trade.