Mets net trio of arms from Jays for Matz

A little over a week after the Mets parted with Endy Rodriguez to acquire big league hurler Joey Lucchesi, a trio of young arms are joining the system.

The Blue Jays announced a trade Wednesday night sending No. 26 Toronto prospect Yennsy Diaz, No. 27 Josh Winckowski and fellow right-hander Sean Reid-Foley to the Mets in exchange for southpaw Steven Matz.

Diaz, 24, works with a 60-grade fastball and has twice amassed more strikeouts than innings over five Minor League seasons. Having signed with Toronto one day after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. , the 6-foot-1, 210-pounder coasted through his pro debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League (1.93 ERA, 39 punchouts in 37 1/3 innings) in 2015. He was inconsistent over his first couple full seasons, but came on strong in the Class A Midwest League and Class A Advanced Florida State League (a combined 3.05 ERA over 147 1/3 frames) in 2018 and went 11-9 with a 3.47 ERA over 144 1/3 innings in the Double-A Eastern League in 2019. He also made his big league bow that season, giving up a couple runs on a hit and four walks over two-thirds an inning of relief. Should his development as a starter stall, his fastball-curve combination may make him a strong bullpen option, according to MLB Pipeline.

Winckowski was a 15th-round Draft pick out of a Florida high school in 2016. In 2018, he was the Pitcher of the Year in the Class A Short Season Northwest League (4-5, 2.78 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 68 innings), and the next year he was an All-Star in the Class A Midwest League (6-3, 2.32) before earning a promotion to the Florida State League (4-5, 3.19). At 6-foot-4, the 22-year-old throws a sinking fastball in the low 90s complemented by a 55-grade slider and an improving changeup.

winky.. 😢 i’ll miss you big bro. only man i know who can make up new pitches/grips the day of and dominate with it 😂 best of luck @joshwinckowski https://t.co/ugjGzHhZZF

— Troy Watson (@2_troywatson) January 28, 2021

Reid-Foley, 25, has appeared in 21 big league games, making 13 starts, since 2019. He worked his way through the Jays system with a fastball that typically sat in the low 90s but reached as high as 97 mph, and he also features average offerings in a slider, curveball and changeup. In 2018 -- his last full campaign in the Minors -- he went 12-5 with a 3.26 ERA over 24 starts between New Hampshire and Triple-A Buffalo, striking out 122 in 132 2/3 innings.

Matz enjoyed flashes of brilliance for the Mets in 2015-16 after a Minor League career in which he was named an Organization All-Star for three consecutive seasons (2013-15), but has been slowed by injuries in more recent seasons. In 2020, he was limited to 30 2/3 frames, but he did strike out 36 in that span despite struggling to a 9.68 ERA.

The Blue Jays reportedly have a deal in place with free-agent infielder Marcus Semien. Diaz and Reid-Foley had occupied spots on Toronto's 40-man roster.