Mike Freire - Fleeting Thoughts, Volume 3

Good Morning, Mets fans!

Yes, this is the third installment of my Fleeting Thoughts series and as with trilogies, the third edition is usually better then the initial sequel, but not quite up to the standards of the original entry.  For example, Rocky 1 (excellent), Rocky 2 (OK) and Rocky 3 (good).  Who didn't like Mister T playing a scary version of Clubber Lang?  Yeah, Mickey ended up dying in this film, but we got to see ol' Rocky get his title back after quite a brawl at the end of the film (in no small part, due to the assistance of Apollo Creed).

Anyway, sorry for the slight tangent into the glorious 80's movie scene.

As far as the Mets are concerned, things appear to be status quo with the team, despite a few trades that have taken place since the last edition of this series.  In other words, they are pretty much the worst team in the National League right now and the future looks a bit cloudy at this juncture (more on that in a moment).

1.  I spent some time ripping the Front Office for the Jeurys Familia trade last week and I am still not in love with the return (especially when you compare the bounty with what the Orioles obtained from the Yankees).  However, what's done is done and I am hopeful that the International "bonus money" obtained in the deal will result in a future "blue chip" prospect. Or, perhaps the third baseman in the deal will get healthy and give the team some options at the "hot corner" in a couple years?

2.  Speaking of the injured third baseman (who is also known as William Toffey), he was apparently "damaged goods" when the Mets completed the aforementioned trade with Oakland.  Most people reacted with shock and disgust, as though the Mets were "schooled" yet again by a different team's savvy Front Office.  Perhaps there is an element of truth to this assertion, but what if there was a different angle to explore?  What if the Mets were the ones who did the "schooling"?  Maybe William Toffey would not have been available in the deal if he were 100% and playing up to his potential?  I think the Mets MAY have bought him at a discount knowing that this is a lost season anyway and they could afford to wait for his shoulder to fully heal before the 2019 season.

He is already at AA, so with an off season to heal and get stronger he could be in the conversation to start in Syracuse next year (that feels good to say) and the parent club is only one step farther down the road, so who knows?  At worst, he is solid competition for David Thompson, or who ever else is in the short term conversation.

3.  On to the Asdrubal Cabrera trade that occurred shortly after the Familia deal.  This one was with the Phillies and the return was thought to be a bit better, despite the fact that it was a "one for one" transaction for a pitcher in AA (Franklyn Kilome). Depending on which list you look at, Franklyn (interesting spelling) was among the Top Ten prospects in the Phillies solid minor league pipeline, which is encouraging.

Additionally, the 23 year old Kilome is 6-6 and 175 pounds!   Are you kidding me?  I am 5-10 and 175 pounds, so you have to think that he has quite a bit of room to grow into his lanky frame.  That is a good thing because at his current age and weight, he can already bring the heat (upper 90's) and that should only get better as he gets stronger.  He is supposed to be a bit wild at this point, so the time it takes to refine his skills should dovetail nicely with his physical development.  Plus, since he is already in AA, he should be in the picture at some point next year or the year after as at least a bullpen arm if not as a back end starter.  Not too bad in exchange for an expiring contract that the team was not likely to re-sign in 2019.

4.  I am putting this article together on Tuesday afternoon, so the trade deadline hasn't quite passed yet.  However, it certainly seems like the team is going to stand pat and not deal anyone else from the current roster.  If they are unable to get fair value for any of the remaining players they could possibly trade, then holding on to what they have that isn't necessarily a bad move. 

However, if they are entertaining any thoughts of contending next year and using that as an excuse to keep what they have then that is a bit delusional, if you ask me.  This team needs quite a bit of work and "kicking the can" down the road in an effort to possibly contend next year is foolish.  I guess that shouldn't be a surprise since the aura of contention will sell more tickets and merchandise then simply ripping off the band aid and doing what is needed to be done. 

Perhaps we can call this misguided philosophy Wilponism?