THAT Adam Smith - Goodbye Huascar

The Mets, in the midst of an historic sell-off capping off an otherwise lost season, have sent Relief Pitcher Huascar Brazoban to the Chicago White Sox for minor league RHP’s Gabe Davis (AA) and Zach Franklin (AAA).    

The Mets acquired Brazoban as buyers at the 2024 deadline in exchange for minor league pitcher Wilfredo Lara, who has not made it past A-Ball.  Brazoban, who had pitched to a 2.93 ERA over 30 innings for the Marlins that season, failed to help the Mets during their ‘24 stretch drive, pitching to a 5.14 ERA over 21 innings and did not appear in the post-season.

Since then, however, Brazoban has been quite effective.  In 2025 he thew 63 innings over 52 appearances with a 3.57 ERA, and has been even better this year, throwing 52.3 innings over 46 appearances with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.006 WHIP.

A late-bloomer in baseball terms, Brazoban didn’t throw his first big league pitch until his age 32 season, and now, about to turn 37, heads to the White Sox with three years of control remaining after this one.

That control, and the fact that Brazoban has only gotten better and shows no signs of slowing down due to age, puts a lot of pressure on Stearns and the Mets to have something to show for this deal once the dust clears.

The highest upside, and really the centerpiece return on this deal for the Mets is undoubtedly Gabe Davis.

Davis, a 2025 5th round draft pick out of Oklahoma State University where he was teammates with both Nolan McLean and Carson Benge, is a soon-to-be 23 year-old 6’9, 235 lb RHP with, as you might imagine, great extension down the mound.  He throws a high-90’s,high-spin fastball that can hit triple digits which Baseball America grades as a 60 (above MLB average) pitch, and features a 60-grade slider as well.  

Davis was limited to just 24 college innings at Oklahoma St. in ‘25 while recovering from a “fishing injury”, which very likely hurt his draft status. But he started his pro career in fine fashion in 2026 at A+ Winston-Salem, throwing 27.1 IP over 8 starts with a 2.63 ERA, 33 K, and a 1.06 WHIP.  Quickly promoted to AA just months into his first pro season, has struggled a bit in Birmingham with an 8.71 ERA in 10 starts, though much of that damage was done over a three start sample.

The Mets will assign Davis to AA Binghamton. 

Baseball America had Gabe Davis as Chicago’s #20 prospect, while MLB Pipeline had him at #18. But a 6’9 230 lb pitcher with less than a season of pro experience, who is already pitching in AA and features with a high-velo, high-spin FB and a 60-grade slider is objectively, a lot to work with and the upside is presumably very high.  And while there is very definitely reliever risk, the Mets will keep him on track as a starter and see what they have, and - with years of control ahead - what they can turn him into.

Zach Franklin, the “other” pitcher in the deal, is a 27 yr-old RH RP who was a 10th round pick by the Sox in 2023. He’s spent the entire 2026 season at AAA Charlotte, where he threw 45 innings over 33 appearances with an impressive 60K and a 1.125 WHIP, while giving up less than 3 BB/9.  His 2026 ERA has been inflated somewhat by 11 HR over those 45 innings, which seems like an outlier for Franklin who gave up just 4 HR over 56 IP last season between AA-AAA.

Franklin features a standard 4-pitch mix featuring a low-90’s FB, splitter, slider, and curveball.  He is Rule 5 Eligible this year so the Mets will need to add him to the 40-man or risk losing him. He has been assigned to Syracuse for now, but we can expect to see him make his big league debut as the ‘26 season winds down. 

For the past two seasons, Huascar Brazoban has been an effective - and at times extremely impressive member of the Mets bullpen. In electing to trade him with three years of control remaining, the organization knows that we are all likely to be watching Brazoban help Chicago through possibly multiple playoff runs in seasons where he could have still been in Queens.

In Franklin, they get a guy who may or may not be a useful reliever for them next season, and while it’s easy to dismiss the chances of a 27 yr-old who has struggled some at AAA, keep in mind that Brazoban didn’t even make his major league debut until he was 32, so you never know.

But it’s Gabe Davis, the behemoth, flamethrowing starter with elite extension and a nasty slider that this front office is dreaming on. He will most likely be the difference between winning and losing this trade in the long run.  With less than a year of pro ball under his belt, and already sitting in AA, the upside is undeniable. It’s the kind of arm an org can dream on as a future mid-to-top of the rotation starter.

Now it’ll be up to the kid, and the Mets pitching development program, and the baseball gods. The Mets are already getting grief from fans and analysts for this still-ongoing deadline. And dealing away Brazoban and all of that control is a big risk. But if the giant kid with the live arm and two 60-grade pitches fulfills his potential, this could, in the end, turn out to be an 80-grade trade for the Mets.