Ex-Mets Top Prospect, Promising Shortstop Amed Rosario Signs With NL East Rival

Former Mets top prospect Amed Rosario signed a one-year deal with the Nationals, joining his sixth organization since his 2017 debut.

Cincinnati Reds second base Amed Rosario (38) runs the bases during the 6th inning to tie up the game 4-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park Saturday, August 31, 2024 / Cara Owsley / USA TODAY NETWORK

A former New York Mets top prospect is returning to the NL East.

On Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that utility player Amed Rosario had agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the Washington Nationals. This marks Rosario's sixth major league organization and his fifth since the Mets traded him to Cleveland as part of the Francisco Lindor deal in 2021.

Amed Rosario to Nats.
$2 million

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 8, 2025

Rosario, 29, began his professional career with the Mets after signing as an international free agent in 2012. By the spring of 2017, he was declared baseball’s top prospect and made his MLB debut that August.

During his four seasons in Queens, Rosario batted .268/.302/.403 with 32 home runs, 148 RBI, and 50 stolen bases in 75 attempts, accumulating a 3.6 bWAR and 2.4 fWAR. However, his defense left much to be desired—his -10 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in 2019 was the worst among qualifying National League shortstops.

After being traded to Cleveland alongside Andrés Giménez as part of the package that brought the 2024 NL MVP runner-up to New York, Rosario began to see more time at various positions. Although he has mostly played shortstop (895 career games), he has also appeared at second base (63 games), in the outfield (51 games), and at third base (15 games).

Rosario served as a regular for Cleveland in 2021-22, posting a .282/.316/.406 line (106 wRC+) with solid baserunning but subpar defense. However, a prolonged slump with the Guardians in 2023 ultimately led to him being traded for another former Met, Noah Syndergaard.

Since July of 2023, Rosario's journey has taken him to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tampa Bay Rays, back to the Dodgers (before being DFA’d after just 11 games), and then to the Cincinnati Reds, where he was again DFA’d after 22 games. He finished the 2024 season with a .280/.306/.380 slash line and three home runs over 103 games with three teams.

Defensively, Rosario recorded -7 Outs Above Average in 2024. However, he still possesses plus speed, ranking in the 91st percentile for sprint speed, according to Statcast.

With the Nationals, Rosario is expected to fill a utility role. Washington has Luis García Jr. at second base and CJ Abrams at shortstop, and MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams suggested that Rosario could form a platoon with García. Rosario has fared far better against left-handed pitchers in his career (.298/.337/.460) than García, who has struggled against southpaws (.250/.269/.356). García, however, has excelled against righties, posting a .288/.326/.469 line in 2024.

Rosario could also enter the competition at third base, where José Tena and Trey Lipscomb are vying for the starting job. However, top prospects Brady House (No. 3) and Cayden Wallace (No. 11) are both on track to debut in 2025, which will add even more competition for the spot.

Regardless of his role, Rosario will look to carve out a place on an up-and-coming Nationals team, which boasts a crop of recent Top 100 prospects like Abrams, Dylan Crews, James Wood, Robert Hassell III, MacKenzie Gore, and Keibert Ruiz. The Nationals also won MLB’s Draft Lottery and will pick first overall in the 2025 draft, so the Mets can expect to face a wave of young talent in D.C. for years to come.