The rumor mill currently has the New York Mets signing or trading for half the players on every expert’s offseason list, but sometimes it’s the minor moves that end up paying dividends. That could definitely be the case for the Mets when they added prospect Nick Morabito to their 40-man roster earlier this week, according to a story written by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Morabito’s an intriguing young player. He’s just 22, and he represents part of the Mets’ recent commitment to add speed to their lower-level minor league affiliates. Morabito was a second-round draft pick in 2022, and without this move the Mets almost certainly would have lost him in the Rule 5 Draft, which happens next month.
Morabito has stolen 108 bases over the past two seasons across three minor league levels, according to DiComo, and he recently swiped another 16 in 17 games in the Arizona Fall League, which is a showcase for top prospects. Morabito showed out there, posting a slash line of .362/.450/.464 to go with a home run, a triple and two doubles, and he was a part of the recent AFL All-Star game.
Those numbers would make him an ideal leadoff man if he continues to develop and shows the ability to get on base. His .348 OBP at Double A Binghamton this season indicates why he’ll get a chance to do that, and this move ensures that he’ll get a long look during spring training. He doesn’t have a lot of power, but that’s not a huge issue with the Mets lineup as currently constructed.
Defensively, Morabito is a former shortstop who has progressed well in center field. But Morabito’s big problem there is that he’s not as big a name as prospective centerfielder Carson Beige, who was taken by the Mets in the first round in 2024 and is rated the number two prospect in the Met’s system.
But Benge struggled offensively at Triple A Syracuse this season, so there’s a lot of tbd attached to this situation. The Mets could use Benge as a trade piece, or they could do the same with Morabito, depending on the internal reports they're getting. The Mets have what amounts to a new coaching staff that knows both players from their time in the minors, so this is an intriguing situation to keep an eye on as the Mets start to make their major offseason moves.