TRADE DEADLINE: Biscuits lose key part of 2026 team with Pitre, Hill trade to Mets

Former Biscuit infielder Emilien Pitre was part of a trade late last week that sent pitcher Freddie Peralta to Tampa Bay. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Emilien Pitre realizes it can be difficult at times keeping tabs on his friends and family back home in Montreal, Canada, but the Biscuits’ infielder was immersed in his professional baseball career as he adjusted to a town that “is a lot different” from his native country.

“My parents are great, they let me do my stuff and we talk pretty much every day if not every day,” Pitre said. “It’s been easy communicating with the family. They’re supportive of what I do. From back home, I’ve got a couple of friends that played college ball and some professional ball that I still keep up with, but high school friends, not really.”

Pitre will be a little closer to home after a trade on Sunday sent Pitre, fellow Biscuit Gary Gill Hill and Bowling Green outfielder Aidan Smith to the New York Mets for Major League pitcher Freddy Peralta, who had struggled to a 6.67 earned run average since being traded to the Mets in January.

Pitre, the Rays’ No. 27 prospect as a second baseman, became the Mets’ No. 15 prospect after arriving in the Eastern League’s Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Sunday. Pitre closed out his career with the Biscuits on Saturday, going 2 for 4 with a pair of walks to raise his batting average to .323.

Hill, the Rays’ No. 26 prospect as a right-handed pitcher, became the Mets’ No. 17 prospect after arriving in Binghamton. Hill closed out his Biscuits’ career on Friday at Biloxi, getting roughed up and taking the loss after allowing 10 hits and six earned runs in five innings, raising his ERA to 4.43.

Pitre was regarded as one of the top prep baseball players in Canada but it took a trip to the Deep South to land a scholarship offer to play college baseball.

“I started playing travel baseball when I was 16 years old and played one year of summer ball,” he said. “I played in Georgia and played in Florida that one year and kind of got lucky with a couple of schools that offered me a scholarship and I chose Kentucky because they were in the SEC and the coaching staff is unbelievable.”

His career in Lexington became his first extended stay outside of Canada.

“I played middle infield (in Canada) so I was at shortstop or second base,” he said. “I got to college and I was playing more shortstop, then we had (Colorado Rockies’ infielder) Ryan Ritter, a Golden Glove winner at shortstop at school, so I learned a lot from him and Grant Smith, a Gold Glove finalist.

“I moved over to second base and it’s been awesome. A lot more time, probably a little easier than shortstop. I never saw 90 miles per hour until I got to school, so that was one big adjustment, obviously. Culture shock, the language, the people, they welcomed me with open arms so it was a smooth transition. Definitely a culture shock.”

Montgomery manager Kevin Boles said Pitre still needs improvement in the field as he transitions from shortstop to second base, but likes the way Pitre can drive the ball to opposing sides of the field.

“Offensively at the plate, he works the count,” Boles said. “He looks like he can stay in there against left-handed pitching, which is rare these days. He manages a good at bat. It’s a neat thing to watch when he’s up at the plate. He puts together a really good at bat.

“He’s a threat. He goes up there and he’s looking from pitch one to do some damage. He can work to all fields. He’s a second-year full season player and to see him shoot the ball to both sides of the field, hang in there against lefties, it’s hard to develop an every day player when the splits are so far off.”

Pitre hopes to continue that consisteny at Binghamton.

“I show up to the field every day and try to stay consistent as a person, as a player,” he said. “I do my best to be a good teammate and give it all I’ve got on the field. I think that’s one big difference with the guys in the major leagues is they’re consistent with who they are and who they are on the field. So if I can stay as consistent as possible, I think that’s going to make my way to the big leagues easier.”

The Biscuits open a six-game series on the road on Tuesday at Pensacola.