If the Mets were seeking a top prospect with superstar bloodlines to help replenish their farm system, they could have done far worse than landing Luisangel Acuña.
Steve Cohen and the Mets paid a heavy price to acquire the 21-year-old younger brother of Braves’ MVP candidate Ronald Acuña Jr., who was the lone return in the blockbuster trade Saturday night of co-ace Max Scherzer to the Rangers, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman.
The 21-year-old shortstop and second baseman was ranked the third-best prospect in the Rangers’ farm system, and the 44th-best in all of baseball.
The Mets’ top two prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, are Single-A catcher Kevin Parada (39th overall) and Triple-A shortstop Ronny Mauricio.
The Mets had to pay down much of Scherzer’s remaining contract, including the $43.3 million option for 2024 that the three-time Cy Young winner picked up, to complete the deal.
The Rangers will be responsible for roughly $22.5 million through 2024, while the Mets will pay about $36.6 million of the remaining $59.1 million left on Scherzer’s pact.
The younger Acuña has a slash line of .315/.377/.453 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 51 RBI and 42 stolen bases in 84 games for Double-A Frisco this season.
“My brother is more advanced and better than I was at his age,” Ronald Acuña Jr. told The Dallas Morning News through an interpreter earlier this year. “Maybe I was as talented but not as advanced.”
The Braves’ Acuña is having an MVP-caliber season for the NL East leaders, with 24 home runs, 50 stolen bases and a .993 OPS through 102 games. Of course, he already copped NL Rookie of the Year honors (2018) and made his first of four career All-Star appearances during his age 20 and 21 seasons, respectively.
Luisangel Acuña found himself roadblocked in the middle infield with the Rangers, who signed shortstop Corey Seager to a 10-year deal worth $325 million and second baseman Marcus Semien to a seven-year deal worth $175 million ahead of last season.
He was promoted to the Double-A Texas League for 37 appearances last year after starting the season at High-A Hickory of the South Atlantic League.
Acuña signed out of Venezuela in 2018 for $425,000. That’s more than four times the $100,000 bonus Atlanta gave his brother as a 16-year-old in 2014, before he inked an eight-year deal worth $100 million guaranteed with the Braves in 2019.