Blue Jays trade for Darrell Ceciliani from New York Mets

The Toronto Blue Jays have announced the acquisition of outfielder Darrell Ceciliani from the New York Mets in exchange for a player to be named later

The Blue Jays continued to add to their minor league depth on Tuesday through a minor trade with the New York Mets. Toronto has acquired centerfielder Darrell Ceciliani in exchange for a player to be named later.

Ceciliani, a 25-year-old left-handed hitter that stands 6’1″, 220 pounds, made his major league debut for the Mets last season and appeared in in 39 games. Over a small sample size of 75 at-bats, Ceciliani was held to a .206 average.

His time with triple-A Las Vegas was much kinder to him however, where he performed very well over 70 games. At that level he posted a slash line of .345 / .398 / .581 with nine home runs and 16 stolen bases.

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Past the top-four of Jose Bautista, Kevin Pillar, Michael Saunders and Dalton Pompey, Ceciliani now joins a crowded B-level group that will compete to be the “next man up” come opening day. His primary competition in that realm will be Ezequiel Carrera and Junior Lake.

From mid-season 2014, Mark Anderson of Baseball Prospectus issued the following scouting report: “Lacks flash in the game; most tools are solid; can hit the ball and will hit some at the highest level; power isn’t a significant factor; speed can play toward the top of a lineup; glove will carry him to MLB and hit tool will give him a chance to stick; potential up-the-middle player with batting average driven offensive profile; won’t be a key cog on an MLB team but can be a quality role player.”

His 125 stolen bases across seven minor league seasons stand out as an attractive tool, and given his remaining option years, there’s real organizational value to rostering a player like Ceciliani.

Ceciliani was originally drafted by the New York Mets in round four of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft.