The latest out of Queens…
- The Mets started 2019 in solid fashion, sitting a season-high five games over .500 through 13 contests, but have stumbled over the past month and a half. Now in possession of a 27-28 record, the Mets should consider an aggressive teardown if they’re not in contention around the July 31 trade deadline, Buster Olney of ESPN opines. By going in that direction, Olney notes the Mets would mimic the 2015 Padres – a team that tried to contend, wound up failing miserably and then traded away several big-name acquisitions within the next year (Craig Kimbrel, Justin Upton and James Shields among them). San Diego general manager A.J. Preller’s decision to pivot toward a rebuild helped the Padres construct an elite pool of young talent that has begun paying enormous dividends at the major league level. If Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen takes a similar route sometime soon, Olney names closer Edwin Diaz and the right-handed starter trio of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler as players he could market in an effort to add more high-end youth to the organization.
- Of course, New York’s not devoid of young, impact talent in the bigs. First baseman Pete Alonso, he of the .264/.338/.624 line (151 wRC+) with 19 home runs in 222 plate appearances, is a testament to that. The 23-year-old may be on his way to top rookie honors in the National League, but his journey to the majors wasn’t easy, as Tim Britton of The Athletic details. Alonso first joined the organization as the 64th pick of the 2016 draft, and Britton – with help from Alonso, his father and multiple Mets scouts – revisits that event and many other moments that led to it.
- The Mets are likely to activate reliever Seth Lugo from the 10-day injured list Friday, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News suggests. Lugo went to the IL on May 20 with right shoulder tendinitis, which has left New York’s disappointing bullpen without arguably its best setup man. The 29-year-old Lugo, a former starter, broke out as a late-game force in 2018 and has since pitched to a 2.30 ERA/2.97 FIP with 8.73 K/9, 2.53 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent groundball rate in 78 1/3 relief innings.
no chance they do a teardown
They should have instead of what they did instead.
I stick to my guns. They will fail and sale off
The fact that they should have in the offseason is why they won’t. That would require the wilpons and BVW to admit they were wrong. They’ll just fire Calloway and maybe move a few expiring vets at the deadline.
Absolutely.
But the Padres never traded Justin Upton…
Shhhh….don’t tell them that. Also don’t tell them that most of the players they traded for that are on their roster came before after that 2015 tear down. Yeah, Fernando Tatis Jr, but that’s about it. Not the major franchise rebuilding, nor has it led to them becoming competitive. Even after spending big the last few offseasons on FAs.
Paddack came during the tear down as well, for Fernando Rodney
Their entire starting rotation was acquired after Preller. Preller acquired Yates. What are you talking about? The big part of their tank was acquiring draft picks which has been paying off huge.
Shhh..dont tell slasher that. He has to keep the story line of the Padres inepditude going. Also dont tell slasher that its obvious the top rated farm system the Padres have did N0T in fact develop before the rebuild. Tatis, Praddock, Meijia, (traded from Indians 2018), Gore (drafted 2017) and so on.
time to “buy low” on Diaz
Ian Happ could use a change of scenery. Cubs could use a closer. Cubs number 1 prospect is a catcher and they have Contreras and Caratini through 2022. Could be a package deal maybe.
Yeah this makes sense, as long as you’re talking about a good closer. I’m assuming you mean Diaz, think you could move Happ and Amaya for him but I wonder if someone doesn’t outbid that.
That’s funny. Trade a cheap and controllable RP who is dominant for a player who got sent down because he can’t hang and a prospect who may or may not be good. Pass…
Agreed. It’s going to take a lot more than Ian Happ and minor league catcher Miguel Amaya to obtain Diaz. Diaz has had a successful overall body of work so far. He’s only 25, cost effective and has team control through 2023. The Cubs need to add to the buffet table to pull this off. Not sure if the Cubs have resources unless they dip into the dependable core of their roster. Orioles Mychal Glivens may be a more achievable trade option.
Happ sucks. Unless striking out is a positive thing.
“…for a prospect that may or may not be good.” That’s true of every prospect. What would you like teams to use in a trade? Fruit baskets?
If the Mets decise to rebuild I think Amaya might be a talking point but if Im the front office I would go in a different direction from Happ. Maybe Happ is the 2018 version of himself but why should the Mets take that chance?
Mets wouldn’t need to do a total tear down and no reason for them to trade deGrom or Syndergaard. They have both signed through 2021, so why trade them away? Why not build around them?
And yeah, the Padres traded away a lot of players in 2015, but most of those contributing on the big league club right now where either drafted by the Padres of Free Agents.
Because they’re the trade pieces you’re getting something good for to rebuild with. Yeah Diaz and Wheeler will bring you decent returns potentially (at least Diaz), but not enough to turn the Mets into a legit contender. Yeah they have to do a complete tear down.
Because the Mets have nothing left to help “build around”
LOL, they should of tore it down after last year, so stupid.
They could of gotten a kings ransom for degrom, wheeler and syndegaard.
Still had kelenic and dunn and not have Cano for 5 years.
They would have the top farm system in the game and no one under contract after next year plus 2 top 5 draft picks for this year and next.
They screwed up big time so they could pretend to compete.
They set themselves back 7 years because they couldn’t see what everyone else saw.
Diaz, Wheeler, and a few others should be traded asap. The idea someone had for the Cubs sounds along the right lines but I don’t know if Happ fits.
I think they’re going to regret not moving Syndergaard when his stock was at its highest to date. I really have my doubts about him, and the guy has a little Matt Harvey in him. In that he’s done a lot of talking without accomplishing much.
Agreed. Thought they should’ve moved him before the season began for a host of prospects (Padres), but a new GM isn’t going to roll the dice like that after the Cano/Diaz acquisition.
They should have traded deGrom and Wheeler in the offseason. Instead they chose to band aid a bad roster just to remain the 4th best team in the NL East. At the rate the Mets are going the Marlins will be legitimate contenders before them
Excuse me, THIRD best team. Have you seen the Nationals lately (Mets just swept a 4 game series from them).
Barring an absolute collapse, they won’t be sellers, because in all likelihood even at a few games below .500 they can convince themselves that they are close enough to contend for a playoff spot. Right now at 2 games under .500 they are only 2 games back in WC and 6 games back in the division.
Moreover, what are they really going to get in a sell off? What is anyone really going to give up to get Degrom with that contract? What would anyone part with for 2 months of Wheeler? Diaz would certainly get a decent return, but would it be much better than the prospects they gave up to get him (leaving them with Cano’s bloated contract)? They’d be selling low on Syndergaard. Conforto would be an interesting trade candidate, but they’d probably keep him. What do Lugo or Gsellman get you? Ramos and Famillia you’d be lucky to get someone to take them just for salary relief.
They should have sold off this past winter. The returns on Degrom, Syndergaard, and Wheeler alone (along with keeping the prospects they sent out) would have vaulted their minor league system into the top 5.
They’d still get plenty for deGrom.
Yep, they were so idiotic for day one to do that Cano/Diaz deal. Kelenic looks like a future stud. Cano is washed up… Such a dumb deal..
The Mets have a great pitching staff, they are not out of the race by any means. Now is not the time to panic.
They aren’t a great pitching staff. That is the problem.
All the Mets have to do is keep complaining about how the other team is cheating them out of wins. Or maybe they can try to get MLB to shorten the game from 9 innings to 7 or even 6 if that means the NY Mets can get out of LA with a series split.
Good times.
Both nationals and the Mets will need to do an overhaul ASAP the nationals at least have Rendon who should bring back a lot both teams have have 2 frontline starters and pen issues. Mets are worse off imo.
Half a season of Rendon isn’t going to bring back a rebuilding haul. They’ll get a good prospect out of it. Maybe two.
It will be interesting to see how the hard trade deadline of July 31st impacts decisions. Do teams buy or sell prematurely and or stand pat with not nearly enough. June 30th-July 15 games will be extra meaningful.
I just can’t believe I am going to have to watch this disastrous Cano signing for years to come, while Kelenic will become a superstar. Dunn will probably become a good player as well.
he’s played one game above A full. hardly worth branding a superstar yet.
it was Cano for Bruce and Swarzak plus 20 mil..
Kelenic and Dunn for Diaz
Regardless the deal was dumb. Kelenic looks to be a stud, was their top prospect, and the Mets still took on bad future money. Plus Bruce and Swarzak have been better than Cano. Why not sign Jonathon Schoop for cheap and figure out another closer option without giving up prospects and taking on bad money? It was an idiotic move for a new GM who thought he was being so smart. Just terrible.
These sorts of topics have no end of fans of other teams ready to pick a team like the Mets apart as though they were vultures circling a carcas.
No where did the author say the Mets need to do this. That would be very premature. The Mets are obviously in need of improvement at 2B, 3B and CF. Maybe the current position players improve or maybe they find other means. I would say their pitching has the most bounce back potential (Syndagaard, DeGrom) and these two alone are worth giving it some time to see if they figure it out.
So, barring improvement, allow me to be the Braves representative to propose a terrible trade that only a fan of the opposing team would want.
We’ll give the Mets Inciarte for Matz and Diaz. Oh but wait, we will need another OF to replace him. Lets just go ahead and peruse the shopping isle. Here we go. McNiel will do just fine.
The Cano/Diaz deal was idiotic from day one. They gave up there best prospects and took on $60 million of awful Cano money in that deal. They could have signed a guy like Schoop and gone many different routes for a closer without giving up stud prospects and taking on bad money. Just sooo dumb, it’s mind blowing.
Not to mention Cano only wanted to go to New York and had a full no trade. The Yankees wanted no part of him. So they had all the leverage in the deal, and still got fleeced. Ridiculous in many ways. Brodie let his relationship with his former client in Cano allow him to forget how old Cano was.