Red Sox acquire RHP Justin Slaten from Mets

After Justin Slaten was scooped up by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft before they had a chance to pick, the Red Sox went out and made sure they got him anyway.

The Red Sox announced Wednesday that they’d acquired the 26-year-old right-hander in a trade with the Mets, giving up minor league left-hander Ryan Ammons and cash considerations in exchange.

The Rule 5 restrictions will still apply to Slaten, meaning he must spend the whole season on the Red Sox big league roster or be offered back to his original team, the Texas Rangers.

Slaten was taken in the Rule 5 Draft after posting a 2.87 ERA and 86 strikeouts over 59.2 innings split between Texas’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Originally a third-round pick out of the University of New Mexico in 2019, Slaten was promoted to Triple-A in September and allowed just one run over 8.1 innings in five appearances with the Round Rock Express.

He boasts a particularly devastating slider, and Baseball America recently identified Slaten as the top player available in the Rule 5 Draft.

Ammons, 22, was Boston’s 10th round pick in this past summer’s MLB Draft. The lefty pitched four years at Clemson and has yet to make his professional debut since being drafted.

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