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12/4/18

Tony Plate - NY Mets New GM Makes Possible Huge Impact Trade



The New York Mets new General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen made his first possible huge impact trade by acquiring former New York Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano and closer Edwin Diaz along with twenty million in cash in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, former first round draft picks Justin Dunn, and Jared Kelenic and reliever Gerson Bautista. 

The twenty million coming from Seattle will help pay for Cano’s contract meaning the Mets will be paying Cano twelve million a year for the duration of his contract. Cano, 36, was suspended for eighty games after testing positive last year. Van Wagenen made this trade thinking that the Mets are in win now mode with no rebuild in mind and will contend in 2019. Van Wagenen was Cano’s former agent and he was able to get that huge ten-year $240 million contract for Cano when he signed with Seattle.
I still think this trade is worth it for the Mets. If Cano stays healthy Cano is going to be motivated about returning to New York. He can still hit and is an above average hitter. He proved that he can handle the pressure of playing in New York during those good years with the Yankees. 

Also, they received Edwin Diaz an elite closer and who is only twenty-four. He has four seasons of club control left. He can really throw the heat at 100 and had a 1.96 earned run average with 57 saves last year which is awesome. 

The great Mariano Rivera never had that many saves in a single season. If Diaz is dominant like last year and Cano stays healthy, they can make a huge impact for the Mets in 2019.

Bruce will be Seattle’s starting left fielder in 2019. Dunn was the Mets 2016 first round pick and was their 2018 minor league pitcher of the year. He spent time at High-A St. Lucie and AA Binghamton, combining for a record of 8-8 with a 3.59 earned run average.  

Kelenic was the Mets 2018 first round pick and batted 413 in the Gulf Coast League and then was promoted to Kingsport and batted 321. 

When you trade away prospects you never know how they will perform in the future. It is a trade that the Mets had to make since their mindset is win now. If those prospects become future stars and the Mets win it all in 2019 it is not a problem. In my opinion the Mets did not overpay in this trade. Van Wagenen said that more player transactions will come.




20 comments:

  1. Tony, I agree. Possible huge impact.

    Go for it now - just do it right.

    Pray for Cano to be an elite guy who ages slowly, as many Hall of Fame level talent guys do, when they stay healthy. Jay Bruce looked older, even if he is not.

    Diaz is some pick up indeed, given the sorry bullpen of 2018.

    World Series in 2019 and 2020, or bust.

    This team a month ago had a great rotation, below average offense, and horrible pen. The two laggards of those 3 were partly addressed in this mega-trade. Just gotta keep fixing stuff here, to make us World Series caliber.

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  2. This is the appetizer.

    Main course coming at the Meetings.

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    Replies
    1. Mack would you care to venture a guess what possible/probable moves witll be made ?

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  3. You left out below average defense. No baserunning. Formerly disinterested and risk-averse front office.

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  4. Reese has a solid point on Cano's base running - in the last 4 seasons, spanning 547 games, Cano has stolen 3 of 10.

    391 games the past 3 years, 1 of 2 in steals.

    Peter Alonso plans to challenge him to a foot race.

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  5. Yes, Brodie made a trade only an Agent would make but not a true GM.
    But hey, lets see what else he does. If he now trades Syndergaard for prospects, he should be feathered and tarred.

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  6. Rusty

    It is impossible to guess that. Too many movable parts.

    I will say this...

    BVW is not afraid to trade chips for established stars.

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  7. Mack,
    I have no problem trading prospects for that one player you need. But in Cano you have one coming off the juice so who knows what you're getting.

    Add that he is 36, not 30 and we now have him for 5 years. You think he will be productive at 39, 40,41?

    Even more burdensome for me is that he is another 2B, not the 3B we need and that we still have a gaping hole at.

    BTW, wasn't a CF supposed to come along with Cano and Diaz?

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. I think to add two all stars and dumping contracts has to be good,the best breakdown was to look at this as two trades.
    Kano and 20 million for Jay Bruce and Swarzak
    Diaz for Kelenic,Dunn and Bautista.
    The missing part here is we new Philly was going to get Diaz in that Segura deal so we did prevent facing him for 5 years that is a good thing too.

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  10. Viper

    The deal is done.

    Done

    You need to move on re: Cano

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  11. I get that folks are either for or against the deal.......I have mixed emotions myself, but I will wait and see how this turns out before I form any final opinions, etc.

    Cano and Diaz make us better today (on paper), which seems to be the new GM's goal. I just hope they do not lose total focus on "tomorrow" while they are at it.

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  12. Im going to boo Cano if i ever go back to citifield (ive got 5 years) but in reality im booing bodie and the Wilpons.

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  13. New Yorker, great breakdown of the trade. I like it.

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  14. Mr BVW wants to go for it...

    Sign Miller and Robertson for the pen... Pen Fixed...

    Sign Grandal... (i hate losing a 2nd rounder but he screwed up the future so go for it now)

    Sign the Japanese pitcher...

    And if the dam market does not materialize for Harper or Machado... BE AGGRESSIVE as he says and get one of them to really go for it...

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  15. SB Nation

    They are currently saying that the NY Mets should not chase JT Realmuto, especially if they have to give up too much to obtain him. I agree actually. Now, if the price were something like Conforto, Matz, and maybe Lugo or Gsellman then fine, I would get JT. But I would not give up anyone else really.

    Why these three you ask?

    Because all three are injury prone and the team never knows what the heck they are going to get from any one. Matz is flat out overrated, and Lugo although good, can be replaced here, same as Gsellman. Neither Seth or Robert are depended upon for a Championship run in 2019. They do have Corey Oswalt.

    If the Mets traded Conforto (a past management favorite) then the Mets could go and get AJ Pollock to play outfield with Lagares and Nimmo. Have Tebow backup, and maybe get a veteran outfielder for the fifth slot, someone to pinch hit and be off the bench not named Bruce.

    But what would I personally prefer?

    Like I have been saying all along here, make a trade for one of the Padres young catchers, either Francisco Mejia or Austin Allen. Both are young, both have recently hit for average, and both have homerun capability. Allen hit 22 Homeruns the past two season and average .286 BA over that time. The Mets have a veteran catcher who "should be" healthy (at least for awhile) in Travis d'Arnaud. Let the new Padres catcher back him up. Maybe obtain a guy like we had here before in Anthony Recker as insurance, or Kevin Plawecki can backup too.

    Spending too much on JT Realmuto is not the way I'd go with this. Too pricey. And the thought that Yasmani Grandal could be brought in here (not enough offense, sort of a weaker Dave Kingman no batting average player) is scary.

    You have to understand a simple concept here. There is no catcher in the MiLB Mets system until Manea and this gap is in need now to fill.



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  16. The other guy I might look at for starter is JA Happ. Despite being older, he is a consistent lefty starter and the Mets could certainly use that for 2019.

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  17. Here's my dream lineup for 2019...

    1. Rosario SS 2. McNeil 3B 3. Cano 2B 4. Alonso 1B 5. Conforto LF 6. Pollock CF 7. Nimmo RF 8. d'Arnaud C

    Starter:

    1. deGrom 2. Wheeler 3. Happ 4. Syndergaard 5. Oswalt

    Relief Corp:

    So far anyway: Vargas, Hanhold, Zamora, Drew Smith, Bashlor, (New Lefty Set-up), Diaz

    Bench:

    So far anyway: INF TJ Rivera, Dominic Smith OF: Tebow, (New Guy), C: Austin Allen or Kevin Plawecki

    We'll see how it all goes.

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