Reese Kaplan -- Don't Look Back, They Might Be Gaining On You!

With the hectic off-season that saw a great many new (and familiar) faces coming to join the 2019 Mets organization, many were surprised and dare I say refreshed by the activity and aggressiveness from the front office that’s been missing for quite some time.  Already Wilson Ramos, Robinson Cano, Keon Broxton, J.D. Davis, Edwin Diaz, Luis Avilan and Justin Wilson have made some positive contributions (and some negative) during the impressive 5-2 Mets start. 

However, there have been transactions made around baseball already now that the season has begun and others surely to follow as the result of long term injuries.  The Giants recently obtained defensive stalwart Kevin Pillar from the Blue Jays who is in his walk year and earning $5.8 million.  To secure his services they sent three prospects over to Toronto, only one of whom is considered substantial.  Pitcher Juan De Paula delivered a 1.72 ERA in A ball last year and was ranked as the Giants’ number 19 prospect.  The others – infielder Alen Hanson and reliever Derek Law.  Hanson didn’t make the team after an awful spring and a mediocre trial at the big league level.  Law was good in 2016 but terrible ever since. 

Now many Mets fans are probably scratching their heads, thinking…if BVW offered up $3.5 million in salary relief for Juan Lagares and only wanted De Paula in return, would the Giants have accepted?  The net cost to San Francisco would have been less and the resource shuffle would not have happened either.  They are both 30-year-old right handed .260 career hitters without much power nor speed.  Pillar edges Lagares a bit in both the power and speed departments while giving way to Lagares for defensive acumen.  However, he has health in his favor which is something people would understandably be gun shy regarding the Mets’ centerfielder.

This one example, however, is not the whole issue.  The Kansas City Royals have lost All-Star catcher Salvador Perez for the entire year (or more) with Tommy John Surgery.  The Colorado Rockies have lost first baseman Daniel Murphy with a broken finger.  The Washington Nationals have lost shortstop Trea Turner with a broken finger.  The New York Yankees have lost slugger Giancarlo Stanton.  The Pirates now are without Corey Dickerson.  Throughout baseball there are a myriad of teams dealing with key injuries and you have to wonder what BVW is doing when he certainly has some excess to offer up such as the aforementioned Lagares, Todd Frazier and possibly Dominic Smith.    

Thus far things have been going well in the won-lost column but the fact is that the depth the Mets have acquired is a bit of a luxury and might be better suited to clearing salary and/or replenishing the somewhat barren minors.  Right now if you dealt away a Juan Lagares the outfield options are somewhat slim – Rajai Davis, Carlos Gomez or Gregor Blanco – assuming the Tim Tebow circus is not yet scheduled for Queens.  However, dealing away Todd Frazier (once healthy) would seem to make perfect sense as he’s in his walk year, may not hit for average but does offer power, and is considered a plus in the clubhouse.  However, with the fast start by Pete Alonso, the continued hot hitting of Jeff McNeil and the contract proffered to Jed Lowrie, he’s the very definition of excess.  Even Travis d’Arnaud could be sent packing in the right deal since they acquired Rene Rivera to replace Devin Mesoraco with the thought that d’Arnaud was indeed somewhat marketable. 

Remember, Brodie, that roster construction is a marathon and not a sprint.  You may have taken a breather since the frantic off-season, but it’s certainly time to get back into the race.