Photo by Ed Delany, MMN

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, potential trade partners have reported interest in left-handed pitcher Thomas Szapucki. Notably, Puma did not indicate which teams had specifically shown an interest in Szapucki.

While Szapucki did struggle in his one Major League outing this season, the interest in him is not that surprising. With Syracuse, he has struck out 12.2 batters per nine. If he had enough innings to qualify, that would lead the International League. His 85 strikeouts rank fifth.

While Szapucki still has not topped 93 pitches in a game or six innings, he still has a big arm, and he is still working his way back from elbow surgery. It is possible interested teams could see him getting stronger and taking another step next season, or they could see him as a big strikeout arm in the bullpen.

In addition to Szapucki, MMN’s Michael Mayer reports the Los Angeles Angels had scouts in attendance for the Brooklyn Cyclones game against the Hudson Valley Renegades.

With the Mets reportedly reaching out to the Angels about Shohei Ohtani, the club could have been scouting Alex Ramirez. Ramirez, 19, is in High-A in just his second season stateside. Ramirez has already seen his name emerging in top 100 rankings. It should be noted despite his being 3.2 years younger than league average, he has posted a 115 wRC+ so far in 15 games.

For what it is worth, Junior Santos was the starter for Brooklyn. Santos, 20, has a big fastball and is still searching for another pitch to help take him to the next level. Unfortunately for Santos and the Mets, he would have a rough night against the Renegades allowing five runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Of course, the Angels have other players who could be of interest to the Mets. While he has struggled this year, Aaron Loup had a great year with the Mets last season, and the team does have a need for a left-handed reliever. If the Angels are tearing it down for a rebuild or a re-tooling, players like catcher Max Stassi could be of interest.

Certainly, as the Mets look to improve at the trade deadline, Brooklyn should draw a number of eyes from a number of teams. In addition to Ramirez being there, Stanley Consuegra and Nick Zwack are having a breakout seasons. There are other prospects of note too, but the interest in any of these players will likely be dictated by who the Mets are pursuing before the August 2 trade deadline.