Mets acquire Eric Young Jr. from Braves for cash considerations

The Mets have been reunited with a member of their 2013 and 2014 roster, acquiring Eric Young Jr. today from the Atlanta Braves for cash. Young will begin his second stint with the organization with Las Vegas.

Young, who was acquired by the Mets in 2013 in a trade with the Rockies that sent Collin McHugh out west, hit .251 over 91 games with New York that year, with four triples and 38 stolen bases. His combined steal total with Colorado gave him 46 for the year, tops in the National League. In 2014, his plate production dropped as he hit just .229 over 100 games, but he remained active on the basepaths, stealing 30 bases while being caught just six times. The Mets non-tendered him following the season, and he signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in February, splitting time with the Braves and their Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett, where he stole 23 bases.

With the Mets lacking a legitimate base-stealing threat—Curtis Granderson leads the team with just 10—a name that had been brought up on the site earlier in the week had been Wilfredo Tovar, Triple-A's leader in steals with 30. But Young is faster and could find himself promoted to the Mets' major league roster once rosters expand on September 1, assuming the team can find room for him on the full 40-man roster.