7/28/18

OPEN THREAD - Astrubel Cabrera Trade



The Mets have traded infielder Astrubel Cabrera to the Philadelphia Phillies for RHP Franklyn Kilome.

25 comments:

Reese Kaplan said...

So a 23 year old, still in AA, with a high ERA and walking 4.5 batters per 9 IP...the mediocrity train is running at full steam when you consider what other teams get for their rentals. I wish him well, but on paper it doesn't seem like a good deal...but that's what we've come to expect from the Three Stooges & Company.

Zozo said...

And of course the Phillies picked up the remainder of his contract. What a lousy ownership group we have.

Mack Ade said...

David Rubin informed me that other teams were willing to offer a better player if the Mets would take back salary, which they once again declined to do.

That being said, I like the deal. Kilome is a legit #10 prospect (I know have him as #8 on my list) with legit speed.

Yes, he needs come work control wise, but, "you can't teach speed".

And I don't get that hung up on a 23-year old AA starter.David Peterson is 22 and pitching for St. Lucie

Bob Gregory said...

BUT....if you pay a few more sheckles, a better prospect is a prospect with better odds of success.

Ridiculous!

And....might I point out... no International bonus $$.

There goes some of the hope placed on the Familia trade having a hidden purpose.

Tom Brennan said...

This team is cuckoo if it could get a prospect who could have a REAL future MLB impact if the kick in $$, but settle for borderline ones due to paying no $$. Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo.

Mack Ade said...

Folks -

You can't analyze a 'trading season'until the whole period is complete. You then look at everything done on paper and judge the team.

Case in point...

What if you trade an expiring contract for a promising speed ball relieve arm with an ERA just over 4. Good start, right.

But then, what if you trade 5 expiring contracts for 5 RPs with the same motis. Sort of overkill, right?

Right now we have

-traded two existing contracts

-received three long term controlled players

-received a team top 10 prospect starter

-received a team top 20 prospect third baseman

-received the PCL leader K/9 relief pitcher

Now, how are we doing so far?

Mack Ade said...

I meant:

-traded two expiring contracts

Bob Gregory said...

How are we doing?
Poorly compared to other teams returns in past and present.

Ricco has earned a large degree of scepticism.

Tired of looking at piles of doggie-doo and focusing on how it is at least formed very nicely

Rob said...

Wow, what a surprise, Reese is negative about something that the Mets did. The Mets traded a 32 year old player, bad defensive player with a lot of health problems the last couple of years and who is a free agent at the end of the year, for a Baseball Prospectus #68 player in all of baseball. This is a fantastic trade for the Mets, and a lot better than any one predicted. Oh, by the way, Jacob DeGrom was 25 years old when he was in AA. I think that worked out okay.

Mack Ade said...

Rob -

Throw in Gregory.

I'm not sure if some around here would be happy if we got Trout in a deal.

No one wants to step back and realize that this organization doesn't need a magic bullet. It needs ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH AT THE TOP LEVELS.

You really don't know what you have individually. Once in a while you find a deGrom and McNeil. More often you wind up with a Cecchini or Smith.

Shit happens in the draft business.

We add three decent names here at the AA/AAA level that will... help.

Bob Gregory said...

51 walks in 102 innings!

Don't knock Reese for being realistic.

Look objectively at the past 10 years. Even the past 2-3 years.

There is an overwhelming majority of Met things to be negative about.

Far, far less to be positive about.

Don't you think Reese Wants to be looking forward every day to sit on his Met couch, fully dressed in Met related clothing from his socks, to boxers, to t-shirt? Don't you think he would live to sit there with his Met fan family and friends with cold beers in their NY Met glasses that sit on Met coasters?
Everybody rooting for every pitch?

Don't blame Reese. Blame the product for not caring enough and failing the fan base.

A problem can not be fixed until it is recognized as a problem.
Maybe Ricco and the Wilpons need to see reality more through the eyes of Reese...

Mack Ade said...

Reese For President!!!!!!!

Rustyjr said...

From MLB pipeline (as glommed from MMO)
Pure stuff-wise, Kilome is as good as just about any pitching prospect in the system, with a fastball that touches the upper-90s consistently combined with a curve that often flashes plus. His changeup has improved and it could eventually become an average third pitch, something softer to distrupt hitters’ timing. He’s generally around the strike zone, though his command has been inconsistent as he is still learning to get all of his 6-foot-6 frame in sync on a regular basis. For as good as Kilome’s stuff is, he hasn’t missed as many bats as you would think. He needs to continue to learn how to sequence pitches and set up hitters more effectively so he can put them away more frequently..
Mack is it possible this kid might just need the right catcher/pitching coach to refine him & reel in his wildness ?

Mack Ade said...

Seriously...

I fully understand where you are coming from Bob, but we were never going to get better players for our expiring contracts.

We also have an inept front office.

Still, I think we are doing well so far this trading season.

Mack Ade said...

Rusty -

I will repeat what I have said a number of times on this site.

I was there the day Jake deGrom arrived at Savannah. I was in the middle of a conversation with Frank Viola when Jake walked by on the way to the side mounds.

I asked Viola who that was and he smiled and said 'oh, some ex-shortstop we added to our pitching staff"

deGrom warmed up, waved to Josh Thole that he was ready, and threw around a 96 mph fast ball down the pipe. EVERYONE on the field heard the pop and stopped in his tracks. It even caused Thole to turn around and look at Viola.

I asked Viola if this kid could develop into a successful pitcher.

His answer was:

"you can't teach speed"

Rustyjr said...

Thanks Mack .

Bob Gregory said...

Mack.

Remember last season's relief pitcher acquisitions at the trade deadline.

Remember all of the positive spin?

Not much success from that group.

My big problem is with the Familia trade. Ricco was skunked in that deal.

Cabrera deal?... do I think another gm would have done better? Yes.
Do I think adding money should have been a priority to maximize return? Definitely!
Do I think the Cabrera trade is as reprehensible as the Familia trade? No.

My biggest problem is that the organization is not facing reality. It is not realistically understanding its fanbase and not realistically looking at how much improvement is needed in the upper minors and major league team.
The organization is not maximizing its use of player acquisition from international to draft to free agents. Simply ad ad ing money in a trade should be an easy yes when it comes to acquiring a better player in trade, especially when the $$ involved was already budgeted for in the payroll before the season started!

Yes, the players the Mets have acquired may turn into something. Was better able to be acquired? Definitely

Mac said...

Its funny. You guys are all right. There is upside with this trade, potentially, but then if you look at Mets trades the last 2 seasons...I dont get a sense they pick any right players. In a vacuum i like this trade, but the fact that ownership wont spend money to get a better prospect and the history of Sandy and this 3 headed monster we now call our GM...Im not optimistic it will work out.

Mack Ade said...

Mac -

THAT is the problem.

The players received this year AND last year are good (Gregory: it is still too early to evaluate all those relievers, but, for the record I only see Drew Smith standing out)

They aren't great because the Mets first concern in these deals was clearing the expiring contract's salaries, not quality of players obtained.

Like I have said...

I like what we have done so far.

Not in love with it. But like it.

Mack Ade said...

BTW -

I talked on the phone last night with David Rubin, who had just got off the phone with one of his LAD contacts.

He's too busy at work to explain this but told me to pass on to all of you that there were 'multiple' opportunities for the Mets to get a better player for Cabrera, but it all came down to clearing the salary

Bob Gregory said...

Disgusting.....

Bob Gregory said...

So short sighted too.
That better prospect could have a much better chance of making a bigger impact on the major league roster at a lower cost.

Michael S. said...

Unacceptable from a NY MLB franchise.

Mack Ade said...

Bob -

For the record... here's the current stats on the relievers we got last year:

(Duda deal) - Drew Smith: 4-G, NYM, 4.50... 23-G, AAA: 3.31

(Addison Reed) - Stephen Nogosek - A+/AA: 31-G, 5.79

Gerson Bautista - NYM: 5-G, 12.46

Jamie Callahan - NYM: 9-G, 4.05

(Jay Bruce) - Ryder Ryan - A+/AA: 32-G, 2.79

(Walker) - Eric Hanhold - AA/AAA: 24-G, 4.46

(Grandy) - Jacob Rhame - NYH: 17-G, 5.63

Tom Brennan said...

VERY shortsighted