Mookie Metts? It didn’t come to fruition, but the Mets did make an effort in December to acquire superstar outfielder Mookie Betts from Boston. The Red Sox ended up trading him to the Dodgers earlier this week.
One reason talks between the Mets and Red Sox broke down? The Mets weren’t open to moving infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil for just a year of control over Betts, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (they also wouldn’t give him to the Indians for shortstop Francisco Lindor). However, the Red Sox regarded McNeil as “integral” to a potential trade package, according to Sherman. Understandably, the Mets weren’t going to part with the versatile, inexpensive 27-year-old after he was one of the majors’ most effective offensive players from 2018-19.
While the Mets weren’t willing to surrender McNeil for Betts, they did offer packages centered on outfielder Brandon Nimmo and infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis (quality, affordable players in their own right), per Sherman. Those deals also would have included one of the Mets’ infield prospects in either Andres Gimenez or Ronny Mauricio, two top-100 farmhands. It seems the Mets, reluctant to absorb all of Betts’ $27MM salary, also would have tried to include one of their highly paid, unwanted veterans in outfielder Yoenis Cespedes or infielder Jed Lowrie in order to somewhat offset the money they’d have taken on had a deal with Boston gone through.
Considering that getting under the $208MM luxury-tax threshold was one of the main causes for the Red Sox’s decision to unload Betts (and left-hander David Price with him), adding Cespedes or Lowrie wouldn’t have been palatable for them. They wound up accepting the Dodgers’ offer of outfielder Alex Verdugo and two prospects – infielder Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong – saving a total of $75MM in the process.
Meanwhile, although the Mets went big-game hunting for Betts, their outfield appears as if it’ll enter 2020 with mostly the same cast. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, even though none of the team’s current options can rival Betts. However, to their credit, McNeil, Nimmo, Davis, Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith all had good seasons a year ago. It’s anyone’s guess what the Mets will get from Cespedes after injuries shelved him for the vast majority of the prior three seasons, but he’s back on a reduced salary and has always produced when healthy.
Nimmo had good season last year??? HUH!!
He’s always had a good OBP, and above average ops. Still young with upside as well.
Typical of the Mets to offer just enough to get laughed at.
Who cares?!
I thought Betts went to LAD.
No story here.
The story is that the Mets “tried”.
So, who cares?!
It’s likely that 10+ teams tried.
Needs to prove he can stay healthy.
Nimmo has permanent back issue with 3 discs. he’s the Mets new David Wright. McNeil is good but will regress this year and the Mets brass always seems to get to attached to certain players. – they should have made the deal and worked to resign him
Many hitters will likely regress this year if the ball more resembles 2018’s and before. Should be interesting.
Why do you think McNeil regresses this year? His numbers have been solid throughout the minors and majors. His wRC+ was 143 last year, good enough for t-14th (300 minimum PAs) in the majors ….with Pete Alonso. 4.6WAR (top 30 in MLB), not bad for $567k/yr. wOBA…22nd in MLB, just ahead of…you guessed it…Pete Alonso. OBP was a healthy .384….which is .T-17th in the majors and .007 behind Mookie Betts.
Why would the mets trade FIVE YEARS of this guy making the minimum and pre-arb? Moving Nimmo for Betts would have made more sense, but it’s not surprising that BOS wanted McNeil.
wow, do you work for the medical staff that you would REALLY know or just a hater. But I guess you know better than the people who see him, see his medical reports, or speak to other players/coaches who know him. Also can you sprint to 1B with a bad back because Nimmo sprints to 1B.
I like Betts but he could be a 1 year rental. And the 2 prospects have been getting really good reviews. I know but they haven’t done anything for the MLB team. Boston will get just as much out of Verdugo- 3.2 war, 377 PA w/49 RBIs, that’s on a 100 RBI pace & 23 years old.. Not the same glove BUT WE HAVE OUR MOOKIE/CF & he’ll always be our only Mookie. You think Boston would let another one go through their legs.
Lol thank god you aren’t gm lol
McNeil has 5 years left and had roughly the same offensive stats as Betts last year. Yes Ik Betts is a better player. Top 5. But one year of him for 5 of McNeil and other pieces is A horrible deal that would have gotten laughed at.
Upon returning from injury – in 26 games (20 starts) –
5 HR
20 BB
2 SB
.430 OBP
.995 OPS
He had a great finish once he finally got healthy.
That trade bodes well for any Lindor suitor. Dodgers had the most best prospects to offer. Player is removed from the chessboard.
This is salary relief not prospects. Verdugo/Downs are not half of Mookie Betts.
The lack of control also drove the price down
They didn’t give him away by any means with the new deal. Verdugo has 5 years of control, posted a strong 850 OPS last year, held his own vs lefties, has a cannon for an arm… oh and is 23. And he has elite sprint speed. He was the top prospect for years in the LAD system that has cranked out ROY and all stars without stop
Downs was just drafted 1.5 years ago and already made it to AA, smashing A ball. He can stick at short and has 20/20 potential with the bat. Both will benefit from Boston’s park. And a lottery ticket catcher on top of all that
I get not liking losing Betts, of course, but they got some nice talent back for a guy who was walking. WAY more than a draft pick
Where are you getting “elite sprint speed” from? Statcast tracked him as pretty much bang on league average last year – 27.3 f/s (261st in MLB). The year before, 27.1 and 293rd.
Are you bias and hopeful, badly informed, or just flat out lying?
It’s obviously a Boston fan reaching desperately (unsuccessfully) to fabricate logic of how this was not total highway robbery
Verdugo was a great get for 1 yr of Betts. Obviously Betts is a top 3-5 position player in the majors, and $27m is well below his value, but he is dead set on becoming a FA….so BOS did really well all things considered.
Cam is that him tracking the ball in the outfield? BUT in 377 PA had 49 RBIs that’s just under a 100 rbi clip. BUT that is the AL east. He’s never seen the Bronx.
Half of the salary or half of the ability? Half of salary – true. Half of ability – not true.
Mookie is a legitimate superstar and top 5 player in the game. Saying that those three players can’t hold a candle to his talent is accurate.
However, I also agree that the Sox made out pretty well as far as long term outlook goes. And that’s coming from a Yankee fan
Downs is now rated as the RS #1 prospect… on a team that needs a 10yr secondbaseman. And Verdugo is a starting right fielder with 5 years of control.
And throw in a catching prospect that hit 24hrs and threw out 50% of baserunners. All in all, I’ll take it for 1yr of Betts…Not to mention unloading Price and $75M of salary relief.
Verdugo/Downs are not half of Mookie Betts.
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On paper, there is virtually no doubt that Verdugo/Downs collect somewhere close to 5x the WAR for the RS that Betts would have in his sole remaining year.
No offense Joe but games are not won on paper. Sometimes quantity is needed more than quality. I love Mookie on the field but this was his decision wanting to test free agency.
metsle1, do you check out Fangraph’s annual excellent Trade Value articles? It’s only one take, but it’s a carefully-done exercise factoring in quality and control. For reference, Betts was #6 on the trade value list when it was done a bit past midseason 2018…and he fell out of the list (which is 50 deep) one year later, due to the lack of control. Also for reference, a Mike Trout is near the top of the list even when paid very well, as long as there is control certainty, so a Betts paid market value for 5+ years is worth more than a Betts with a very uncertain future after one year.
Alex Verdugo was mentioned as a guy just outside of the 50-long list too, and as someone with a good shot of being on the 2020 list, so if anything Boston made out quite well in the deal. That’s why the Red Sox couldn’t just dump Price’s full contract (which is a negative trade value) and had to eat half the money to not taint the young player return in the deal.
The Dodgers still have the most/best prospects to offer
Not really. Sets the bar and then some if Lindor is moved this year due to the extra control and more valuable position.
I’m gonna miss Mookie. I just wished he tried to work with the RS, but it did not happen, so I’m guessing he wanted to leave. I hope he lives LA n signs there.
Not me. I hope he hates LA and the Sox get him back in FA next winter. The only thing I’ll like about him out in the NL West this year is that I’ll get to watch him play a bit while my team is rebuilding and we have no hope of beating the Dodgers.
“Giants fan hopes perennial MVP hates Los Angeles”
I’m stunned
No disrespect but does anyone see the Red Sox signing anyone for 10 or more years? I don’t. They won a championship but dug a hole doing it. While no one would give back 18, it’s no guarantee that spending will equal winning. They of course will spend but more wisely. The Yankees seem to be athe Sox of 18. I don’t know their finances but they need to win now because they likely will not be able to keep the team together in say 22 unless the pipeline produces cheap starters. Otherwise how do they keep Judge and Sanchez, assuming both rake moving forward? The next CBA may factor in.
My guess is that the signings will be cyclical. Henry has no issue exceeding the cap. The issue is that the penalties accelerate rapidly. If he gets under in 2020, and then goes over by $10M in 2021, it cost him $2M or something. Henry will take that out of the petty cash box.
Once it gets up to $30M over, and penalties are 50% and you start losing drafts picks and international spending, it gets really expensive.
Me too Pasha2k. He’s going to have to use the speed a bit more and gaps in LA. Power numbers will go down some this year, but if he turns on the running game more than he has, believe he can show potential suitor’s more than he has from that angle in LA this season.
No, he wanted to get paid market value. No less. They can “work it out” after this season if they truly want him. I don’t blame him for not giving them a discount. He had lived up to and beyond his contract value for five straight years. Time to get paid!
The arb system worked best for him. No one ever got more. Don’t tell me he didn’t get paid. He proved himself in his pre arb years and worked the system. No issues but if everyone has that mentality, it can’t work out for everyone.
McNeil nimmo/Davis and a top 5 prospect from the system??
Bloom are you ok??
*wouldn’t include McNeil
oh Ok
They probably would have still taken the Dodgers deal if the Mets also wanted to send back salary.
The LAD deal had more talent, and better matched talent. Let’s say that Nimmo = Verdugo, it is still 3 years v 5 years. And we don’t really need SS’s.
They will get him in when he becomes a free agent in 2021.
There was never a snowball’s chance the Red Sox were going to bring Cespedes back to Boston.
Never…he had an audition in Boston.. and it was not good. Not a team guy..especially when he is not playing well.
I’m not sure I buy asking for McNeil as a serious request given how much more valuable he is than the entire package given by LA. Also knowing the Mets, I bet they weren’t really looking to make a deal they just wanted to say they tried
Dodgers took Price and salary. Mets weren’t willing. I’d say the deal was better with the Dodgers since the only reason Betts was on the block is because of one year left, Price’ contract and the tax on the team payroll.
I couldn’t be happier with the off season the Red Sox have had.
They have taken back the reigns and are starting to control their players by removing a clubhouse cancer like Price and a Prima Dona larger than life payroll expectation player like Betts
Now they move to get 1 more quality SP and this team is all set to be right there with the best of them.
What stuff are you smoking ?? Can ya pitch ?
Haha. He was he a primadonna? Because he wants his market value. Stop it. You will miss him and his production. He soon you forget ’18
You’re lost.
I’m also happy. But Price is not a clubhouse cancer (unless you are part of the Boston media), and Betts is not a prima donna.
@SG
So the BoSox were lucky to find a sucker to dump that Betts prima donna on? Ok fool.
I really am sick of the people on this website that put down other people’s opinions on here.
You’re entitled to your opinion and so am I.
I’ve made my position clear numerous times on this website.
If you have to pay 1/2 of Price’s salary to dump him.
And if “Hall of Famer” Betts was so wonderful.
Then Boston would have at least made the playoffs in 2019.
Instead we had “every single other team” pay less to get to the playoffs.
Tampa and Oakland paid a fraction of what Boston paid for 2019 payroll.
And they both had better records.
Half Price was a cancer or they wouldn’t have dumped him.
And Betts wanted $400M+.
With already one of the highest payrolls in baseball going into 2020 it doesn’t take a genius to see that Boston could be doing much better for the money it spends.
And that’s what they’re trying to do.
Should’ve got one of May/ Gonsolin in the deal
No way Dodgers do that for one year of Mookie and an overpaid David Price
May would’ve been a nonstarter, I’d think. Gonsolin might have been possible, depending on the rest of the return.
Yeah that totally was on the table but Boston passed hahahaha
I am actually surprised that Boston found someone to take both contracts AND get a couple of prospects back. Betts is testing free agency after next season. This is not so much a baseball trade as it is a financial deal. LAD got a player for one year of Mookie and the albatross contract of Price. The prospects are not equal value. Boston gets salary relief.
Boston paying half of Price remaining contract!
Yup…half of Price…but none of Betts $27M
LA took on $75M in total.. RS got payroll relief and 3 quality players. Not bad for a player you would have lost in FA for just a pick.
“you would have lost in FA for just a pick.”
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That’s what’s confusing some fans, and most of the Boston writers.
We aren’t losing ‘Betts’. We are losing 1 year of a player with a 6.6 WAR. We are getting five years of a player we hope will yield 3+ WAR, and 6+ years of a player we hope for 2.5 WAR.
The folks all worked up are looking at this like we were losing Betts forever. We are only losing him for one year.
Boston paying half of Price’s deal makes his compensation fair market, with the possibility of his outperforming it for the Dodgers.
Albatross? Price Now is on an identical deal that Rich Hill just finished.. 3/48
Hill threw 42 innings last year. I think Price can outperform that
Boston paid $46 million to move Price. Dodgers are now paying $16 million per year for a #3 starter. Any team would do this every day!
@metsie
Are you serious?
keep seeing a lot of swing and miss articles on all the players the Mets almost got this offseason.
I wouldn’t call a refusal to trade McNeil a ‘swing and miss’
No one cares about what the Mets couldn’t do.
Honestly wouldn’t be McNeil straight up for Betts. Davis, Smith, and a prospect maybe. But unless you have the guarantee of an extension I’m not giving up anything crazy.
What do you expect from the Mets? They have a agent for a GM. Part of his job as a agent was to spread propaganda to create a facade of what people wanted to hear. What we actually have is a complete off-season of what the Mets and the Agent GM almost accomplished when in reality, they’ve accomplished little to nothing.
That’s still more than you ever will
That does not change the fact that notagain27 is correct and you are not whynot
I am far from a Brodie fan, but the biggest issue with the Mets is Jeff Wilpon. Whether it be the horrendous decision-making, arrogance based on literally nothing but his name, or his ability to tank a $2.6B deal because he didn’t want to give up control after being paid a premium for the Mets. Brodie has sucked as a GM, but Jeff Wilpon has two decades of ruining a major MLB franchise.
Amazing nearly every team we know of… but LA wanted Boston to take a bad contract back… for Mookie freaking Betts
Pathetic owners
Not trading Mcniel has been BVW best move as GM. Imagine if he gave up him and Kelenic for Diaz/Cano.
The Mets must have been joking…..
Let’s see what happens if the ball is “dejuiced…..”
Good move by Van Waganen by not trading McNeil. He is a bona fide .300 20 75 10. 850ops player who can play multiple positions. Nimmo is another player im glad we held on to. 2018 he finished with a .404 obp. Players who have finished with an obp above .400 since 2018 is minimal. Even last year being hurt all year…in the games he did play his obp was .375. At his peak…i see .290 20 75 15SB and an ops of .850 or better. Fans outside of NY say how much we over rate Nimmo…but he is well in his way to being an all star for many years. No Betts…but also no $350mil contract either.
Nimmo has played over 70 games in a season once
What an utterly ridiculous stat.
Nimmo has been in the MLB for 4 seasons. He was not projected to be a starter until 2018, when he played 140 games.
Most bench players don’t play 100+ games.
Amazing how much BS that can be posted about nimmo. Makes him sound like the second coming of Pete rose. More like the first coming of Kevin pillar
Pillar & Nimmo are polar opposites.
2018 – 3rd in OBP, 17th in OPS (MLB Ranks)
2019, after returning from injury – 26 games, 20 starts –
5 HR, 2 SB, 430 OBP, 995 OPS.
I hate when stats prove a players skill.
Mookie Metts
In the end the Mets were smart to not chase Betts. The addition of Betts on only a one year guaranteed deal would have had to guarantee a World Series appearance. I don’t see him propelling them to a series. I like Nimmo a lot, the comparison to Rose is his grit primarily, but he does have huge upside if healthy. McNeil is going to be more a Rose like hitter, but neither is worth trading if the return doesn’t guarantee a title. The addition of Betts for a year didn’t put them into the drivers seat for the NL East title let alone a series title so why give up two quality controllable pieces plus absorb the salary? Smart move by the Wilpons for a change.
I think the WS remark is important. Right now, there are maybe 10 teams with approximately their talent or better. I think Atlanta & the Nats are a clear step ahead of them.
My guess is that they will compete with the Phillies, 4 teams in the NLC, and AZ for the final WC spot. I wouldn’t give up the future to increase my chances of a WC berth.
Lol nobody in the NL expect maybe Dodgers has more “clear talent” than the Mets. The Mets could win a WS next year. I’m not saying they will but the they could.
They would be favorites with Betts.. some websites like Fangraphs has the Mets in first already.
I disagree with the assertion in this article that Boston’s desire to dip below the luxury tax (and reset the penalties for future seasons) was a primary “cause” of trading Betts. It’s possible, but assuming that to be the case is the big mistake that is leading to a lot of flawed assessments of the team’s decision.
To put it simply, the decision to trade Betts was likely completely separate. Moving him a year before free agency smacks of a team knowing a player will be gone or looking to head to the highest bidder, and so Boston was placed in the common dilemma of deciding whether it was better to get one more year of excellence and then see what happens (risking walking away with virtually nothing) or cash out and have real assets going forward.
Given that Boston had a magnificent championship season in 2018 and was not expected to be a WS favorite in 2020, it made a lot of sense to lean towards the “cash out” option. And because the team was looking to get below the luxury tax, it made perfect sense to kill two birds with one stone by using the Betts cash out in order to achieve the luxury tax goal. In other words, I think Boston under Bloom would have traded Betts even without the luxury tax initiative, and it was only handy that the two goals overlapped.
A lot of that narrative is coming from idiotic Boston writers, who simply want to bash the Red Sox for headlines and hits. Money always helps. But I’d have wanted this trade no matter the financial impact was.
I don’t think people appreciate how good the Mets offense can be with McNeil, Alonso, Conforto and a healthy Nimmo, Rosario etc…
You finished slightly above average in RPG last year, and I’d bet on some regression by Alonso & McNeil.
Nimmo was hurt last year.. and cano and Rosario will hit better and what makes you think McNeil regresses. Alonso too… we all know alonso isn’t going to hit 52 homers but his other numbers could be about the same
So the Mets would have been willing to trade Nimmo and Cespedes for Betts!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Nimmo, Davis, and perhaps Mauricio for one season of Mookie Betts?
Not a chance. Even Nimmo and Davis is not without risks as potentially paying too much. 3 seasons of a reasonably healthy Nimmo will be at least as valuable as Betts in 2020, particularly in the context of Nimmo having the second highest OPS+ in the NL in 2018, behind only MVP winner Christian Yelich.
So to compensate for Nimmo’s uncertain health, is Davis enough? Probably not. But Mauricio is a tremendous talent. Maybe you add in Giminez to Nimmo and Davis, who is hugely overrated by Mets fans, but that has to be your maximum offer. It also puts the Mets in a hole. Betts leaves after 2020, so who fills Nimmo’s shoes in 2021 and 2022?