New York Mets acquire Keon Braxton from Brewers

Keon Broxton has been traded from the Milwaukee Brewers to the New York Mets for righthanded pitchers Bobby Wahl and Adam Hill and Minor league infielder Felix Valerio, it was announced today.

Broxton, 28, is a righthanded hitting centerfielder who bounced up and down between the majors and the minors for the Brewers last season. After Milwaukee acquired Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain last off-season, they had a surplus of outfielders, resulting in the trade of Domingo Santana last month and this trade of Broxton. Broxton had a solid rookie campaign in 2016, but has put up a .213/.296/.419 slash line with 203 Ks in 552 plate appearances over the past two seasons. Broxton has been discussed here as someone who might make sense for the Rangers to pursue as a center field option, but with the club looking to reduce strikeouts, Broxton wouldn’t necessarily be a good fit.

The Mets didn’t appear to give up much for a guy they seem to have slated to be their backup centerfielder in 2018. Wahl is a 26 year old righthanded reliever with a 6.92 the Mets got from Oakland in the Jeurys Familia trade last summer. Adam Hill was a 2018 4th rounder out of South Carolina who had a few innings in rookie ball in 2018. Felix Valerio just turned 18 and played 2B for two of the Mets’ Dominican Summer League teams in 2018, hitting well.