The Mets and Yankees have struck a rare deal that will send longtime Mets minor league second baseman/outfielder L.J. Mazzilli to the Bronx for Yankees outfield prospect Kendall Coleman. The 27-year-old Mazzilli, son of former Met and Yankee outfielder and coach Lee Mazzilli, was drafted in 2013 as a fourth-rounder out of the University of Connecticut by the Mets.
Mazzilli had initial promise in his first years in professional baseball, hitting .278 and .301 in 2013 and 2014, respectively, primarily in Single-A. However, things took a turn for the worse after a 50-game suspension in 2015 for violating minor league baseball’s drug policy with two positive tests.