The Mets owe the Cubs payback for the 2021 trade deadline.

This is not to suggest that Jefferson Rojas will become the next Pete Crow-Armstrong and emerge within a few years as a National League MVP candidate (if not the season’s front-runner with a month remaining), but the Double-A Binghamton infielder has created plenty of buzz in less than a month in the organization.

“This kid’s going to be a good big league player,” a scout from a National League team told Sports+ this week. “But I wouldn’t rush him. He’s 21 years old, he runs the bases well, he’s got good defensive instincts.”

The baserunning and defense complement a bat that has helped vault Binghamton into the Eastern League playoff picture. The Rumble Ponies are 16-4 since the trade deadline, boosted also by a roster that includes the Mets’ 2025 first-round draft selection, Mitch Voit.