Tom Brennan - TRADE DEADLINE, AND TOP PROSPECTS' PERFORMANCE
So here we stand, once again.
Cellar dwellers at the sellers' window, as Pink Panther Peter Sellers might say, as the non-waiver trade deadline arrives today.
Cellar dwellers at the sellers' window, as Pink Panther Peter Sellers might say, as the non-waiver trade deadline arrives today.
Ex-Mets stars Asdrubel Cabrera and Jeurys Familia have been summarily dismissed, exiled to toil for playoff contenders, primarily to cut Mets payroll.
In return for more questionable (will the newcomers, or won't they, help the Mets down the road) talent.
"Not so easy" come, "very easy" go, I'd say.
In return for more questionable (will the newcomers, or won't they, help the Mets down the road) talent.
"Not so easy" come, "very easy" go, I'd say.
I join in the constant refrain:
Which is, would having contributed, say $15 - $20 million towards last season's 5 veteran salary dump trades and the two trades above have been wise monetary investments?
Would the added investments have brought back stronger players, real major leaguers-to-be, instead of so-so ones whose ceiling might be the likes of players like Matt den Dekker or Manny Acosta?
So far, only Drew Smith seems like a smile-inducing trade get. Time will tell on the rest.
My guess is the answer to the question, would adding in lots of cash have helped get future impact players, is yes...you, the readers, can respond with specific examples if you'd like, of where, had the Mets paid down salaries, in any of these deals, they could have nabbed difference-maker prospects instead of 2nd tier guys.
MY TOP 15 PROSPECTS, REVISITED
How are the guys I listed as my top 15 prospects (see right hand column of this website for my list) doing? Let's see:
1. Jeff McNeil was promoted to the mutha ship, if you hadn't noticed...and he's doing quite well, too.
2. Andres Giminez - the 19 year old was promoted to AA and was 3 for 3 with a walk Sunday, and spent the night googling Las Vegas to start learning about his next promotional destination.
3. Peter Alonso - slumped after reaching AAA, then un-slumped. Just .220 in 37 AAA games...but...a BIG BUT:
As in 9 homers and 38 RBIs in those 37 games, giving him 24 HR and 90 ribbies through July 30. WOW. WOW.
(Amazingly, he is just 6 for 63 for Vegas with the bases empty - is it a focus thing?)
It won't be long until he joins joy-inducing Jeff McNeil in Queens, is my guess. Batman and Robin will be reunited.
4. Justin Dunn - he was doing so well in 2018 until his last start, the kind we don't want to see from a fella we all hope will be dominant soon - hopefully it was just an aberration.
5. Jarred Kelenic - happy 19th birthday to Killer Kelenic. He was killing in the GCL but has hit some real headwinds in the Appalachian League since promoted - but he continues to walk a lot, and is 9 for 9 in steals. Learn what you can this debut year, Jarred, and hit the ground sprinting in 2019.
6. OF Raul Beracierta - OK, maybe I got a little (or a lot) too enthused when he was on base 52% of the time in his first near 20 games this season. He is only 5 for 33 since, so he is due for a "price adjustment" back out of the Brennan Top 15. Let's move torrid Luis Santana in to the top 15 instead. Despite his swoon, Raul is still at .309/.420/.489 after 26 contests, nonetheless.
7. IF Ronnie Mauricio - still 17 (until next April!!), he is smoking the GCL at .333/.345/.529 in 33 games with 27 RBIs. A case could be made, probably prematurely, that he is the Mets' # 1 prospect now.
Fair and balanced, Ronnie is just 1 for 5 in steals. He confidentially said he is losing speed as he ages (not really, if you believed that, perhaps you are slowing down yourself).
8. Anthony Kay - the lefty has come a long distance in his first healthy season, but he, like Dunn, got whacked in his last start. So he is not on a straight up, rocket thrusters firing trajectory - yet, anyway. But a solid season is unfolding.
9. Mark Vientos - the 18 year old started slowly, but is on fire now in Kingsport - in 31 games, 6 homers and 28 RBIs. Sans the speed aspect, I still hope he is our future, steroid-free (of course), A ROD.
10. Nabil Crismatt - he has been way off lately. Way off, as in 41 earned runs in 51 IP over his last 10 outings...ouch!
He has dropped out of my top 15 until proven otherwise. Far too early to real say, but maybe new 2018 draft reliever Rylie Gilliam (6 shutout innings, 9 Ks for the Cyclones) or Columbia Fireflies newcomer Luc Rennie (last 3 starts, no runs, 20 IP, 29K) deserve the Top 15 more that Mr. Crismatt.
Or, perhaps (and more likely a top 15er) fireballer Gerson Bautista, who has been pretty stellar in AAA relief (and who was acquired in that Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox in 2017).
Of course, newly acquired fireballer Franklyn Kilome is supposed to be top 10 material - we'll soon find out. But, to me, it is odd that a fireballer in the minors has only fanned 42 in his last 61 innings over his last 10 outings.
He has dropped out of my top 15 until proven otherwise. Far too early to real say, but maybe new 2018 draft reliever Rylie Gilliam (6 shutout innings, 9 Ks for the Cyclones) or Columbia Fireflies newcomer Luc Rennie (last 3 starts, no runs, 20 IP, 29K) deserve the Top 15 more that Mr. Crismatt.
Or, perhaps (and more likely a top 15er) fireballer Gerson Bautista, who has been pretty stellar in AAA relief (and who was acquired in that Addison Reed trade with the Red Sox in 2017).
Of course, newly acquired fireballer Franklyn Kilome is supposed to be top 10 material - we'll soon find out. But, to me, it is odd that a fireballer in the minors has only fanned 42 in his last 61 innings over his last 10 outings.
11. David Peterson - essentially in his first year, having thrown just a few innings in 2017, so it is not completely surprising that he has experienced recent difficulties, but one could hope for greater dominance from a first rounder - just 2-5, 6.00 in 7 starts in St. Lucie after his promotion.
12. Anthony Dirocie - after his smoking hot start for Kingsport, AD has settled in at a slower pace in Brooklyn.
Still, .327/.430/.535 after 30 contests, and his K rate is about half of 2017's rate.
Still, .327/.430/.535 after 30 contests, and his K rate is about half of 2017's rate.
13. Jaison Vilera - 46 innings pitched, 4 earned runs, none earned in his last four starts in Brooklyn. 56 Ks, just 23 hits. What to say? Dude is on fire. He deserves to be ranked higher. And promoted.
14. Nick Meyer - in truth, fellow catcher Tomas Nido belongs here - he has been red hot of late and likely close to being a valid MLB contributor, not the early season overmatched fella Nido was, but Nick is amazing in terms of contact in Brooklyn with just 7 Ks in 21 games - time will tell if he can sustain his strong pro debut.
I would be remiss as well if I did not say that Ali Sanchez (.267/.297/.388) has shown major improvement with the stick and could turn out to be better long term than either of them.
All three are strong defensive catchers. It will be interesting to see who hurtles the highest amongst them.
14. Nick Meyer - in truth, fellow catcher Tomas Nido belongs here - he has been red hot of late and likely close to being a valid MLB contributor, not the early season overmatched fella Nido was, but Nick is amazing in terms of contact in Brooklyn with just 7 Ks in 21 games - time will tell if he can sustain his strong pro debut.
I would be remiss as well if I did not say that Ali Sanchez (.267/.297/.388) has shown major improvement with the stick and could turn out to be better long term than either of them.
All three are strong defensive catchers. It will be interesting to see who hurtles the highest amongst them.
15. Drew Smith - just back with the Mets, after Familia went to Oakland - let's see if he can stick around.
If I had to replace the promoted Smith with another reliever in my Top 15, I might try the Boomer, Dave Roseboom who, after a brief AAA clobbering early this season has a 1.93 ERA in AA in 30 outings.
But trades are what folks care most about today.
See you the other side of the deadline, people.
So....you're the new Mets' GM today - whom do you trade, and what do you get back?
ReplyDeleteWell, if I'm the Mets GM then that means I've had at minimum a frontal lobotomy or several bottles in front of me...and I would trade Wilmer Flores because it makes no sense whatsoever. I would futher deal away low cost Zack Wheeler for the same delusional reason.
ReplyDeleteHowever, not having had anything stronger to drink than a sugar-free Rockstar and no surgical procedures, I would entertain offers for Mesoraco and Bautista. Getting ANYTHING for Bautista would be better than nothing and you just signed Austin Jackson as the veteran outfield presence. Mesoraco can go after the non-waiver deadline since his salary is high and is unlikely to be claimed.
I would trade deGrom to accelerate the rebuild instead of peddling the nonsense about contending next year...kind of the old, "Wait til next year" refrain of perrennial losers. But they won't. There are jerseys and season tickets to sell.
Tom -
ReplyDeleteI would trade Mesoraco, Baustista, and Flores.
I would take International money for both Mesoraco and Bautista and swap Flores for either a catcher or OF chip.
I would keep deGrom, Syndergaard, Matz, and Wheeler
I would promote Lobaton to Queens and replace him in Vegas with Nido
Reese, I largely agree with you there - but only if they get the sun, moon and stars for deGrom. Look at Johnny Cueto - you never know when the mileage will suddenly catch up on a guy. Look at Johan Santana, too.
ReplyDeleteJake hopefully will be a rock star for years, but ya never know until it happens. If he pitches like a rock star for the mMts for the next 6 years, he may even win 50 more games, too.
Mack, yours is a pretty astute approach. Of course, if you trade Flores on me now, I will have to change my Friday article a bit, but that will be OK :)
ReplyDeleteI am hoping Jeff McNeil has a higher ceiling than Flores, as 1) he is faster and 2) he is a lefty and would face more opposite pitchers than Flores does as a righty hitter. Flores being traded would open tons of playing space for Jeff, and hopefully Gimenez is ready for call up by this time next year. Plus, we do presumably have TJ Rivera returning, who is kind of a Flores clone.
TJ Rivera in 10 seasons might hit the number of HRs Flores could produce in one if he had 500 ABs, but Terry and Terry II know he belongs on the bench to give time to Jose Reyes and others.
ReplyDeleteRivera hitting .304/.335/.445 career, and good RBIs - nothing wrong with that, Reese.
ReplyDelete"Ex-Mets stars Asdrubel Cabrera and Jeurys Familia have been summarily dismissed"
ReplyDeleteThis is a ridiculous remark and you know it...as does every Mets fan reading this. Why do you even say such things?
Players on expiring contracts who are about to become free agents are traded off for what you can get by EVERY team. These were good players and Met fan appreciated them. If we want them back we could re-sign them as free agents, AND keep the prospects. In the meantime, they get a shot at post-season...something veteran players look forward to. Criticizing the Mets for trading them is just dumb.
Nickel -
ReplyDeleteRelax
It just was an attempt at a cross of humor and poetic license
Hi Nickel
ReplyDeleteI just saw your comment. It was purely tongue in cheek humor. If you read my articles, you will see a lot of it.
Stepping off the humor pedestal for a second, both trades of expiring contracts made complete sense. The question remains, if the Mets put cash in to either trade, would they have gotten more sure-fire prospects than if they had not? And if that is the case, wouldn't doing that be more helpful in this team quickly rebounding from its 2017 and 2018 injury-induced losing seasons right back into contention?
When I looked the other day and saw 5 guys on the Mets who were 65 for 401 (.162) with 19 RBIs, and realize this has happened a lot in recent years, one has to wonder how many games the Mets lose each year where, if they have a few too many (or too long) injuries, as has been the case in 2017 and 2018, the drop off in hitting production is severe. It also pertains to the pitchers. Too many marginal guys who get called up who get clobbered.
After watching this game today, maybe it's the batting coach after all. I just cannot understand why everyone on this team is slumping except Jose Reyes.
ReplyDeleteCan you?
On the current NY Mets batting coach...
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that maybe the Mets batting woes could be attributed to whoever is their Batting Coach right now. After thinking on this some more, I was thinking that maybe the new MLB players coming up simply are not getting the proper fundamental instruction to succeed once here.
I watch a lot of baseball and this is the one consistency I am seeing with recently called up young players on all teams. Now, there are some MLB teams that seem to have better instructional development for their players. But to be honest here, these teams are few and far between.
Young players not knowing where to throw the ball on relays. Not covering their base on the infield for an out. Bad footing around the infield bases. Horrible throws 40 feet off target from the outfield. Not using their gloves correctly on one hoppers and hits to the outfield.
A lot of critics will seek a quick blame, the manager. But to me it really is poor instructional league MiLB development.
I need to take up yoga.