PRESS RELEASE AND STATS: METS ACQUIRE MINOR LEAGUE OUTFIELDERS DREW GILBERT AND RYAN CLIFFORD FROM HOUSTON

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FLUSHING, N.Y., AUGUST 1, 2023 – The New York Mets today announced that the club has acquired minor league outfielders Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford from the Houston Astros in exchange for RHP Justin Verlander and cash considerations.

 

Gilbert, 22, ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Astros organization according to Baseball America and the 68th-best prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. He was slotted as the 36th-best prospect in the majors according to the Baseball Prospectus mid-year ranking. Clifford, 20, was the No. 3 prospect in Houston's system according to Baseball America and the No. 4 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

 

Gilbert was selected as the 28th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Tennessee. In 81 games between High-A and Double-A this season, the left-handed hitter has hit .274 with 57 runs, 19 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 38 RBI, 10 steals with a .363 OBP and a .458 SLG. In 21 games before he was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi, Gilbert batted .361 (31-86) with 21 runs, eight doubles, one triple, six home runs, 18 RBI, four steals with a .421 OBP and a .686 SLG. He represented the Astros in the 2023 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game.

 

Clifford has appeared in 83 games this season between Class-A Fayetteville and High-A Ashville, batting .291/.399/.520 with 57 runs, 16 doubles, 18 home runs, 61 RBI with a .919 OPS. He was selected in the 11th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Crossroads FLEX High School in Cary, NC. In 108 minor league games, the left-handed hitter owns a .282/.405/.494 slashline with 21 doubles, 20 homers, 71 RBI and 70 runs scored.

 

Verlander signed with New York as a free agent last offseason. The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner made 16 starts for the Mets and went 6-5 with a 3.15 ERA (33 ER/94.1 IP) with 31 walks and 81 strikeouts.

Justin Verlander's Mets Stats:

Standard Pitching

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
2023	40	NYM	NL	6	5	.545	3.15	16	16	0	0	0	0	94.1	77	36	33	9	31	0	81	1	0	3	386	131	3.81	1.145	7.3	0.9	3.0	7.7	2.61
18 Yrs				250	138	.644	3.24	498	498	0	26	9	0	3257.1	2731	1271	1172	331	911	27	3279	105	19	93	13266	132	3.37	1.118	7.5	0.9	2.5	9.1	3.60

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/1/2023.

Drew Gilbert Stats:

Register Batting

Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2020	19	-1.6	Tennessee	SEC	NCAA		15	51	40	15	14	3	0	1	8	2	0	7	6	.350	.490	.500	.990	20	0	4	0	0
2021	20	-0.9	Tennessee	SEC	NCAA		68	303	270	41	74	12	1	10	62	10	1	15	40	.274	.341	.437	.778	118		14	1	3
2022	21	-0.2	Tennessee	SEC	NCAA		58	244	199	60	72	21	4	11	70	4	2	33	32	.362	.455	.673	1.128	134		6	0	6
2022	21		2 Teams	2 Lgs	A-Rk	HOU	11	37	32	9	10	1	0	2	6	6	1	4	2	.313	.405	.531	.937	17	0	1	0	0	0
2022	21	0.2	Fayetteville	CARL	A	HOU	7	22	21	4	5	0	0	1	2	3	1	1	0	.238	.273	.381	.654	8	0	0	0	0	0
2022	21	1.2	Astros Orange	FCL	Rk	HOU	4	15	11	5	5	1	0	1	4	3	0	3	2	.455	.600	.818	1.418	9	0	1	0	0	0
2023	22		2 Teams	2 Lgs	AA-A+	HOU	81	359	310	57	85	19	1	12	38	10	3	39	67	.274	.363	.458	.822	142	7	5	0	1	2
2023	22	-2.5	Corpus Christi	TL	AA	HOU	60	264	224	36	54	11	0	6	20	6	3	33	46	.241	.342	.371	.713	83	4	2	0	1	2
2023	22	-0.3	Asheville	SALL	A+	HOU	21	95	86	21	31	8	1	6	18	4	0	6	21	.361	.421	.686	1.107	59	3	3	0	0	0
Minors (2 seasons)					Minors		92	396	342	66	95	20	1	14	44	16	4	43	69	.278	.367	.465	.832	159	7	6	0	1	2
College (3 seasons)					College		141	598	509	116	160	36	5	22	140	16	3	55	78	.314	.400	.534	.935	272		24	1	9
All Levels (4 Seasons)							233	994	851	182	255	56	6	36	184	32	7	98	147	.300	.387	.507	.894	431	7	30	1	10	2
AA (1 season)					Minors		60	264	224	36	54	11	0	6	20	6	3	33	46	.241	.342	.371	.713	83	4	2	0	1	2
A+ (1 season)					Minors		21	95	86	21	31	8	1	6	18	4	0	6	21	.361	.421	.686	1.107	59	3	3	0	0	0
A (1 season)					Minors		7	22	21	4	5	0	0	1	2	3	1	1	0	.238	.273	.381	.654	8	0	0	0	0	0
Rk (1 season)					Minors		4	15	11	5	5	1	0	1	4	3	0	3	2	.455	.600	.818	1.418	9	0	1	0	0	0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/1/2023.

Ryan Clifford Stats:

Register Batting

Year	Age	AgeDif	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2022	18	-2.8	Holly Springs	COPL	Smr		8	33	26	3	6	1	0	1	6	1	1	6	10	.231	.394	.385	.779	10		1	0	0	0
2022	18		2 Teams	2 Lgs	A-Rk	HOU	25	101	77	13	19	5	0	2	10	2	0	22	31	.247	.426	.390	.815	30	1	2	0	0	0
2022	18	-2.8	Fayetteville	CARL	A	HOU	12	51	41	5	11	2	0	1	5	0	0	10	15	.268	.412	.390	.802	16	0	0	0	0	0
2022	18	-1.8	Astros Orange	FCL	Rk	HOU	13	50	36	8	8	3	0	1	5	2	0	12	16	.222	.440	.389	.829	14	1	2	0	0	0
2023	19		2 Teams	2 Lgs	A+-A	HOU	83	371	306	57	89	16	0	18	61	4	2	46	89	.291	.399	.520	.919	159	4	13	0	6	0
2023	19	-3.3	Asheville	SALL	A+	HOU	58	250	214	35	58	11	0	16	46	1	1	21	62	.271	.356	.547	.903	117	4	10	0	5	0
2023	19	-2.0	Fayetteville	CARL	A	HOU	25	121	92	22	31	5	0	2	15	3	1	25	27	.337	.488	.457	.944	42	0	3	0	1	0
Minors (2 seasons)					Minors		108	472	383	70	108	21	0	20	71	6	2	68	120	.282	.405	.494	.898	189	5	15	0	6	0
Other (1 season)					Other		8	33	26	3	6	1	0	1	6	1	1	6	10	.231	.394	.385	.779	10		1	0	0	0
All Levels (2 Seasons)							116	505	409	73	114	22	0	21	77	7	3	74	130	.279	.404	.487	.891	199	5	16	0	6	0
A+ (1 season)					Minors		58	250	214	35	58	11	0	16	46	1	1	21	62	.271	.356	.547	.903	117	4	10	0	5	0
A (2 seasons)					Minors		37	172	133	27	42	7	0	3	20	3	1	35	42	.316	.465	.436	.901	58	0	3	0	1	0
Rk (1 season)					Minors		13	50	36	8	8	3	0	1	5	2	0	12	16	.222	.440	.389	.829	14	1	2	0	0	0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/1/2023.

 

Thank you, JV. pic.twitter.com/JK20ZIK9Sc

— New York Mets (@Mets) August 1, 2023