Rammy asked...
Hey Mack- . Got a question to ask: While no one expects John Buck putting up the insane numbers he has early this season, if he is projected to hit .270-.280 with 15-20 HRs, do you see the Mets shipping him out before the trading deadline or keep him on the team to help mentor d'Arnaud when he gets here? If he does get traded, what kind of prospects do you think we might get? Is it out of the question to think we can get a blue chipper from a contender for a half season of Buck or is this just wishful thinking?
Mack - Hey Rammy. Great hearing from you.
Sadly, they simply have to. There is no room for two catchers of this quality on one team and neither plays another position.
Buck is known for his power, but he will come back to earth at some point. Still, his handling of the pitchers alone is going to make him as asset to some team with young pitching.
And, the Mets are not going tp pay him more than the $6mil he makes this year to sit on the bench.
He will get 'us' one of the young outfielders this team needs.
Sounds good to me. The long-term health of the organization depends on the Mets being able to make trades with some of their MLB players...being sellers (trading the Buck's of the roster) and buyers (dealing some excess young pitching) at the same time. I think there's going to be a substantial re-shaping of the roster coming over the next year.
ReplyDeleteA month ago my thinking was that Santana and Marcum would be our best trade bait over the summer. Now, I wonder if Buck, Murphy, Gee, and Duda might bring in some serious young talent when the dust settles.
Hey Michael,
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your assessment though I would leave Murphy out. I think that he bring more to the team then he will likely get back in a trade. Also, while I know it's a really small sample size I think his defense has looked great the first week, don't forget this is really just his second full season at 2B after winning the job and learning it on the fly the last few seasons. I also think his intangibles and personality in the club house make him more valuable then his defense and offense can quantify.
I think the with so much pitching coming up Gee could definitely have some value, as will Buck if he keeps playing well. Duda is bit of a mystery. I think he can be valuable to the right club but only if it's at 1B or DH. Nothing against the guy personally but he's already cost us 2-3 runs this season in the field, he does not belong in the outfield period. I'm hoping that Wheeler comes up sooner then later and that would make Gee expendable. Same with Buck when d'Arnaud comes up.
No one will ever trade for Murphy to plat 2B and there are better pop hitter for AL teams to trade for a DH.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets and Murph are sort of stuck with each other.
Hey guys,
ReplyDeleteOn Murphy I would tend to disagree with you just because of the rumors surrounding Murphy the last year and a half. The Dodgers, Padres, Tigers,and Blue Jays (I might be forgetting one or two) were all reported to be interested in him and that was when he was a gritty, slap hitting team guy. If he keeps that up and adds this newfound power, I think there will be teams in the hunt who are very interested in him. I would deal him for a high-ceiling pitcher or an OF. I like him as a player but I won't cry if he's dealt.
Daniel - I agree wholeheartedly on Duda. If he reaches what seems to be his potential at the plate (25-30, 80-90), I think he'd be very attractive to an NL team looking to upgrade at 1B or an ALteam looking for a 1B/DH solution. Given his age and contract status the Mets might be able to return two quality prospects for a guy who unfortunately has no place on this team. He is NOT a LF.
I'm expecting Wheeler up in May and a Montero bump to AAA at that point. If Montero shows at Vegas that he can be ready for the show sometime soon, I move Gee for two young talents...same logic as Duda.
I'm not expecting Buck to continue this torrid pace, however he has always had power and handled pitching staffs well. I can easily see a playoff contender with a lousy catching situation surrendering a top prospect for him provided the Mets pick up the tab on his salary. When d'Arnaud comes up, I'd immediately start shopping Buck. Less time for him to decrease his value through a cold streak or injury and he's too talented to sit the bench.
On Murphy's new found power... remember the sample size...
ReplyDeletealso, if 3-4-5-6 hits, Murph gets better pitchers
It is a small sample size, but he didn't hit his second HR until June last year and I know one of the things he worked on this offseason was to create more life with his swing to generate more power. It'll be interesting to see how things progress.
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